Concrete Angel
by KittiKat626
Summary: [IchiRuki] All she'd asked for was for someone to love her. Instead, she got a father who abused her, and a brother who didn't care. Rukia was truly alone in the world. Her body's bruised and her heart's broken. Can a rash, orange haired teen change that?
1. Snow Dancer

**Name: **Concrete Angel  
**Rating: **T ( Language, violence, mentions of rape, _possible_ Adult Situations)  
**Genres: **Drama/Angst/Romance  
**Pairings: **Ichigo/Rukia  
**AU: **Yup!  
**Summary: **All she'd asked for was for someone to love her. Instead, she got a father who abused her, and a brother who didn't care. Rukia was truly alone in the world. Her body's bruised and her heart's broken. Can a rash, ignorant orange-haired teen change that?

**Format: **

"speaking."  
_Italics — Fashback_.

_Centered italics — lyrics._

_'Italics like this' — Thoughts in flashbacks.  
"Italics like this" — Thoughts in the present story-line.  
_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters. I DO NOT own the song **Concrete Angel**! It is sung by **Martina McBride**!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

**Concrete Angel — I**

**_November 12th, 2007 — 5:22 PM_**

Kuchiki Rukia shivered in the cold and her small, slim body shook as the wind beat down on her. It was dark ... but she had to get away from_ there_. She couldn't be near those men. Not her father ... not her brother. Her brother never did anything to her; he just watched, which was just as bad, while her body was torn and she was broken and hurt.

He did nothing. He watched as their father's hand landed on her small body again and again, making her bleed and cry. Her tears would fall down and mix with the blood all over her body while her father just yelled at her. She could never do anything; she was a small girl of four foot eight and her father was a very large, strong man.

_She walks to school with the lunch she packed,  
Nobody knows what she's holdin' back.  
Wearin' the same dress she wore yesterday,  
She hides the bruises with linen and lace. _

Sitting down on the sidewalk, Rukia pressed her hand over her wrist; she was pretty sure it was broken. It was nothing new to her. She knew pain in the largest ways. She had broken bones often, but she just grinned and brushed her teachers off. But she still hated the pain. She would never get used to it.

A stray tear slipped from her eye as she leaned back up against the cold, stone wall. It was freezing outside and her lips were a light blue color, but she didn't care; the cold numbed the pain.

_"No father, please!"_

_"Shut up, you little brat!"_

_His hand came down on her again and she bit back a scream. Blood was seeping out of her temple and she could feel her legs buckling under her as her father's fist landed in her stomach. _

_She wanted to cry, to let her tears out, but she couldn't. Her violet eyes stung with the unshead tears as she fell down to the ground, her head slumping on her shoulders. _

_She wanted the pain to disappear. _

_"Stand up, you worthless girl!" her father yelled, taking her by the hair and pulling her to her feet. Rukia screamed loudly, her eyes closing as she tried to calm her irratic breathing._

_"Please stop," she said quietly._

_Her lip was swollen and her eye was black. Her father usually didn't beat her face, for she couldn't hide that at school, but tonight he was being worse. He was hurting her everywere. Her wrists were swollen where he held her in place while he had beat her and her legs and stomach were bruised where he had kicked._

_"You're worthless."_

_The teacher wonders... but she doesn't ask,  
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask.  
Bearing the burden of a secret storm,  
Sometimes she wishes she was never born._

_His hand hit her again and again, and still, her brother did nothing. He sat across the room, simply watching._

_"Nii-san, please!" Rukia yelled, her tears flowing over as she fell to the ground again. Her father didn't bother to pull her to her feet this time; instead, he kicked her in the stomach as hard as he could as she curled into a tiny ball on the floor. He yelled something else she didn't hear and then walked out of the room, ramming his fist into the lamp on the way out. Rukia winced as it shattered against the wall._

_"Nii-san, why didn't you help me ... ?" Rukia asked, sobbing deeply as she curled tighter against the wall. There was no response._

_There was never a response._

Rukia shivered again, but this time from the memories that were assulting her mind. It felt as if it were happening all over again.

Closing her eyes, she slumped forward a little. Her body was aching worse now. The once-numbed pain was taking over her senses again as the cold could do nothing to block it out.

_Through the wind and the rain...  
She stands hard as a stone.  
In a world that she can't rise above.  
But her dreams... give her wings,  
And she flies to a place where she's loved.  
Concrete angel._

She just wanted to sleep. To sleep ... and to never wake up.

As the wind beat down on her and the cold snow gently caressed her cold skin, she reached up and probed at a large gash on her face. It had finally stopped bleeding, but it still hurt. Maybe, if she opened it again ... she didn't have anything to cut herself with, nothing to escape this life, but if she opened the gash, just maybe ...

Her hand started shaking; she couldn't do it. No matter how much pain she went though, she felt as though it would all come to an end someday. She felt like she had something to live for, even though she knew she didn't. All she lived for was to be mocked and teased at school and beaten at home. To have her brother look down on her and watch as their father hurt her. To never be loved; only hated in life.

_Somebody cries in the middle of the night,  
The neighbors hear... but they turn out the lights.  
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate,  
When morning comes it'll be too late._

"Now I lay me down to sleep ... " Rukia paused as her voice began to shake. She'd whispered this prayer each night since she was five. To most children, it was something they did with a smile, with a father or mother beside them to tuck them in.

But for her, she said it because she was afraid. Afraid that her father would kill her in the night. So she said it because she wanted to be with someone who loved her, and the people at her Sunday School when she was young said that Jesus loved everyone, even people like her. She continued the prayer after forcing her voice back under control. "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake... I pray the Lord my soul to take."

It was silly, really, that she kept saying it. She knew that no one her age — sixteen — said that prayer anymore. But she did, because it was the only thing she had left of her mom, who had taught it to her. She didn't only say it for her, but for her mother and sister, who were gone.

They'd never woken up.

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

Her father ... she had only been three. Her sister and mother had been trying to protect her. Her father, drunk, had been trying to hurt her, not them. They had stood in the way, and he hated _her_ for it. He hated her, he blamed her. It was her fault because they had been trying to protect _her_, a child he had never wanted. He had hurt them, trying to kill her. A innocent, tiny baby girl with bright violet eyes and black hair; just like her father.

He'd wanted a son. Instead, he said, he'd gotten a useless girl who did nothing but cry.

Rukia could feel the tears cold on her cheeks as they slid down. The cold was taking over her body, making it to where she could barely move.

She didn't care. She wanted to leave this life. She wanted ot go somewhere she was loved.

She wanted to die.

Her eyes were closed and her thin, bruised arms were wrapped around her legs. You could tell by even looking at her; she was broken. Both her body ... and her heart.

As she felt her life slowly slipping away from her, she smiled.

But she didn't feel the arms gently wrapping around her body and a coat being wrapped around her thin shoulders. She didn't hear the soft words gently whispered to her, but when she pealed open her eyes, shivering violently, she could see the hopeful, half-smile of the boy that held her so softly, like she'd never been held before.

And his bright, orange hair reminded her of the sun which she had hoped never to see again.

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

Wow ... depressing. Anyway, I don't know where this came from, but I adore that song. If you have not heard it, go do it! I love it, love it, love it!

**_Please Review!_**


	2. Fire Inside

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters. I DO NOT own the song **Concrete Angel**! It is sung by **Martina McBride**!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

**Concrete Angel — II**

**_November 12th, 2007 — 6:03 PM_**

Kurosaki Ichigo looked down at the small girl in his arms. Despite her size, he would say she was about his age. But ... she looked so small. Pulling his eyes away from her small frame and focusing again on the road in front of him, he frowned. He needed to get her help; she was badly hurt.

But ... what had happened to her?

Her hair was soft and it spread out on his arm as he walked fast toward where he lived.

His dad would help her.

The girl groaned and turned her head to the side; she was moving, and that was a good thing. When he'd found her, she had been bleeding and her skin was freezing. Even now, with his large coat wrapped around most of her small body, she was still shivering violently, her hands, pressed against his chest, shaking hard.

Even through the bruises and the blood, she still looked pretty, to him. She looked fragile ... and he'd decided that from the moment that he had laid eyes upon her, that he wanted to protect her.

**_November 12th, 2007 — 11:12 PM_**

Her world went from freezing, numbing cold to suddenly warm. She was_ warm_, and her whole body seemed to be engulfed in something soft. Her eyes wouldn't open, though she heard voices. One of them was soft, another curious. A third barely even spoke, and only said a few words.

"Let her alone."

Once the few words had washed over the room, there was silence. Beautiful, calm silence.

Then everything went black again.

In her dreams, nothing haunted her and she was able to escape from the life she had been born into for only a few precious moments. But that was enough. The next time she woke up, she was able to open her eyes the smallest bit. Her mouth was dry, and she couldn't move her body. Pain coursed through her when she tried to move, so she decided that staying still would work out better in the end.

"Hey, you awake?"

The voice was soft, but she could tell that the owner of the voice wasn't used to speaking in such ways.

"W-wat ... er ," she managed to force out, her eyes closing again against the pain.

"I'll get you some. And some medicine for the pain."

She heard footsteps leaving the room, the voices talking quietly outside. Silence once again engulfed her until the voice spoke again.

"Here, can you sit up a little?"

She didn't want to; she didn't want to move. Her whole body felt like it was on fire from the pain as he helped her sit up against the pillows. His hand came over hers as he placed a small cup of water in her hands; they were shaking.

"What the hell happened to you? You look like you were hit by a truck."

She didn't respond; she slowly sipped at the water and tried to swallow the pills that had been given to her. Once they were down, she opened her bright violet eyes and stared at the young boy in front of her.

He couldn't have been older than her, and the scowl on his face seemed like it was a normal expression to him. His eyes were an intense, amber color and his thin hands were stuffed deep in his pocket as he stared at her from beside her bed.

Truth be told, as soon as she had opened her eyes, he had been surprised at the deep, violet color of them. They'd shocked him because it felt like he could stare into the very depths of her soul if it weren't for the barriers she seemed to have built up around herself.

"By the way, my name's Kurosaki Ichigo."

She smiled a little, nodding, then tried to speak her own name.

"Kuchiki R-Ruk ... ia."

"Good to know. Now, we can find out where you belong. I bet your parents are worried sick about you."

Rukia's eyes went wide and she shook her head before she even thought about it. The young boy, Ichigo, looked confused.

"Huh? No? Why not? They out of town or somethin'?"

"N-no ... "

Her eyes were cast toward her bed again as she tried not to meet the boy's eyes. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Fine. I won't push ya right now. But what happened to you? I mean ... c'mon. You broke your arm and your whole body is covered in bruises. I ... didn't see them all, because I didn't think you'd be comfortable with ... " His eyes fell away from her body so she wouldn't have a chance to meet his gaze. "With me tending to them, but my sisters said they were pretty bad. _What happened_?"

Rukia didn't speak for a second. Ichigo sighed and ran a hand through his hair again.

"Did a car hit you? Did you fall from someplace high? Did _someone_ do this to you?"

Rukia bit her lip and flinched at the last suggestion. Realization slowly grew in Ichigo.

"Who?"

His soft voice was now laced with anger. She couldn't see his eyes, but the tone he spoke in scared her. She shook her head, not speaking still. He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't hurt me."

Her voice was soft and quiet; scared.

Ichigo took his hand away immediately and sat down beside her on the bed. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and was hugging them tightly, no matter how much her body told her she didn't want to move like that.

"Hey, Rukia ... look, I don't want to hurt you. But you need to tell me who is doing this to you, all right?"

No response, but he noticed that she had begun crying. Ichigo stood up and turned away from her.

"I'll leave you alone for now. Get ... get some sleep, alright?"

Rukia didn't respond, but as he walked out of the room, Ichigo could still hear her quiet sobs echoing throughout the house.

**_November 13th, 2007 — 6:47 AM_**

It was still dark inside the house when he flipped the living room light switch. His eyes automatically ventured to the small room that the girl ... _Rukia_, was staying in. It was at the end of the hall, leading toward the small clinic that his family owned.

Ichigo sighed and shrugged as his bare feet began shuffling across the soft carpet toward her room.

What the hell? He might as well check on her.

Opening the door, Ichigo walked silently into the room, sitting down in the chair beside Rukia's bed. He stared into the girl's face and sighed; who the hell would do something so terrible to a young girl?

"I can't do anything."

The small, quiet voice broke through his thoughts and Ichigo turned to face the girl lying silently on the bed. She'd been crying again; he could tell. Her voice shook and he could hear the silent sobs in her breathing.

He was silent; he held his breath, as if he was worried that, if he spoke, she would suddenly fall silent again.

"I'm so weak."

Ichigo frowned.

"That's not true-"

"Yes it is! I can never do anything."

She didn't want to be weak. She wanted to do something for herself; to fight back. But she never could. Ever since she could think for herself, she'd been told she was weak. No one paid attention to her ... her father beat her ... she _was_ weak.

"I tried at first ... to fight back."

Why was she opening up to some kid she didn't know? Her mind was telling her to keep her mouth shut ... but she wanted out _so_ badly that she was willing to tell anyone who would listen.

"I ... I'm weak, I know I am. Everyone tells me I am ... and I believe them."

Her tears were slowing as she curled tighter into a ball. Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. He _was not_ good at this kind of thing. He hadn't a clue what to do; should he just talk to her, or should he try and comfort her? No, if she'd been hurt by someone, chances are the _someone_ was a male, and a male touching her might not be a good idea ...

"Why didn't you let me die?"

Her voice was soft and quiet and Ichigo's amber eyes widened slightly.

"Why did ... why did you save me?"

Ichigo didn't answer immediately; he frowned slightly and pressed his hands together. His eyes strayed to the floor, then up to meed Rukia's again. She was still crying, though her tears had slowed and she was trying her best to wipe them away with her shirt sleeve; more just kept coming.

"You didn't want to be saved?"

Rukia was silent again. She said nothing as Ichigo stood to his feet and turned to the door.

"I ... I'll check back in a bit to see if you're alright. Need anything?"

"No."

Her voice seemed stronger as she turned away from him to face the wall. "I'll be OK."

"Alright ... "

Ichigo walked out, casting a glance back at the young girl laying behind him. She did nothing, said nothing ... she only lay there as he walked from the room, gently closing the door behind himself. He leaned up against it and listened to Rukia's soft sobs through the door. Frowning, he walked forward into the kitchen, grabbed the phone book, and dropped down onto the couch, flipping through to the 'K' section.

Kuchiki ... Kuchiki ... Kuchiki ...

Lots of Kuchiki's. How in the world was he to know which one? But ... should he really call Rukia's parents? 'Cause if it was a person beating her, then should he really send her back home?

"Goooood mooooooorning, Ichigooooo!"

Ichigo's amber eyes went wide as his dad's feet slammed into the side of his head. He flew off of the couch and fell to to the floor, finally regaining his thoughts enough to throw a very colorful line of swear words at his dad.

"I still have a lot to teach you, my son! You didn't avoid my kick!"

"Damn! You caught me by surprise, baka!"

Isshin was smiling as he grabbed the phone book from where Ichigo had dropped it.

"Ah, Kuchiki ... _already_ trying to _stalk_ the new girl?"

"Stuff it, old man!" Ichigo yelled, grabbing the phone book from his dad and hitting the older man with it. Isshin flew forward a few inches from the shock, and when he turned around again, he was _still _smiling.

"Whatever. I want food ... "

Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief as his dad walked into the kitchen. He put the phone book up, having decided to not look for Rukia's relatives for a while, and walked back into her room, sitting down on the chair again.

"You still awake?"

The only response he got was a slight nod of her head.

"Look ... I think you could probably stay here for a while, you know, while you're healing and stuff ... "

"I-I could stay ... _here_ for a while? I don't have to go home?"

Her voice was shaking as she turned her small body around under the sheets; her violet eyes now met his and he nodded, turning his gaze away.

"Yeah ... I mean, if you want to and all."

Rukia nodded slowly and Ichigo stood to his feet, smirking slightly.

"Yah ... OK. Well, I'll see you later I guess. I have to deal with my idiot father before school. I'll drop by after classes to check on ya, alright?"

"Thank you."

Ichigo smiled as he walked out the door.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Well, not a really exciting end or a cliffhanger or anything, but I hope you liked it! Also, what do people want to see happen? I have the main plot-line already layed out, but I might want some stuff to stick in the middle to make it longer than 10 chapters. **So ideas would be great**! Can't use them all, thought...

**_Please Review!_**


	3. My Shadows

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for Beta'ing!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

**Concrete Angel — III**

**_November 13th, 2007 — 8:01 AM_**

Ichigo sighed as he dropped down into his desk. His eyes closed and he breathed in deeply. He'd _finally _escaped his dad and had made it to school in a record one and a half minutes.

His dad was _insane_.

"All right class, settle down!"

Most everyone shut-up when their teacher walked in, but the few who didn't got chalk erasers aimed at their heads. _Then_ they shut-up and sat down, growling under their breath at their grinning teacher.

"Oh, and does anyone know where Kuchiki-san is? She isn't here today."

Before he could stop himself, Ichigo said, a slightly puzzled look on his face, "Kuchiki ... Rukia?"

The teacher nodded, and Ichigo was suddenly aware of all the eyes on him. He shifted under the gaze of his classmates and said, "Ah ... she can't be here today because she's ... sick?"

He swore he heard Keigo making some smart-ass comment, but decided to ignore him ... for now.

"Oh, well, all right. If you're in contact with her, take her homework with you today and give it to her."

"OK."

The class fell silent and Ichigo ignored the paper air-plaines in the back of his head from Keigo until lunch. When he stood up, Keigo bounced up to him as they walked out of the room, lunch in hand, ready to climb up to the roof.

"Sooo?"

"So ... what?" Ichigo asked, dropping down on the roof and sticking his straw into his juice. He took a big drink then scowled up at his grinning friend.

"How do you know _her_?"

"I just do, alright? Ah ... how long has she been coming to school here? Is she new or somethin'?" Ichigo was truly confused; he couldn't remember ever seeing Rukia before in school. He would have thought she would stick out; her bright violet eyes were so deep and she was the kind of person who usually became popular.

"Hell no! She's been here since last year! Duh, Ichigo! She was the _totally hot_ girl I was telling you about a while back!"

"Huh?"

Ichigo frowned; he'd never listened to Keigo rant about hot girls.

Shoving those thoughts from his head, Ichigo ignored Keigo for the rest of lunch, and barely spoke the rest of the day. His thoughts were on what Keigo had said. More than a year? And she had been in his _class_ that whole time! He'd really been blind. How could he have not noticed her? When he'd seen her in the alley way, he ... if he'd seen her before, he'd _know_ it, right? Those violet eyes, her small, delicate hands ... but maybe he'd really been _that_ wrapped up in his own life that he hadn't noticed a suffering girl.

He'd ask her when he got home, he decided, but for now, he needed to concentrate on his work.

Throughout the rest of the day, he found himself spacing out and, at one point, unable to answer a question put forth on the board. As he walked in the front door of his house, he was surprised to see Rukia in the kitchen with his sister, Yuzu. The younger girl was smiling and trying to help Rukia as she dumped a cup of flour into a mixing bowl with her hand in a cast.

Her violet eyes were shining in concentration as she tried not to spill the flour, and she laughed when a white could puffed up in her face.

"Oh, Ichi-nii is home!" Yuzu said happily, waving to her older brother.

Yuzu and Karin got home an hour earlier than him from their middle-school. She smiled and ran over, grabbing his hand and hauling him into the kitchen. As soon as he had control of both of his hands again, he reached out and picked up the recipe that his sister and Rukia were working on.

"Cookies, huh?"

"Yeah! I asked Rukia-chan if she was up to getting out of bed, and when she said yes, I asked her if she would help me make cookies."

"And I'm not very good at it," Rukia chimed in.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow; Yuzu finally had a cooking partner. Isshin blew things up, Karin refused, and he himself hadn't ever been given a chance in the kitchen.

"Right. Well, I got your homework from school today, Rukia. And ... can I talk to ya for a minute?"

Rukia looked over at Yuzu and the little girl nodded, saying she could finish the cookies on her own. Rukia limped from the room and sat down on the couch in the Kurosaki living room when Ichigo motioned for her to.

"You ... ah, go to my school?"

"I think so."

"What class are you in?"

Rukia looked down at the floor.

"I see you everyday. We're in the same class."

"Huh. I never noticed you."

Rukia smiled sadly as she nervously kicked one foot back and forth. Her violet eyes closed and then opened again as she turned to look at him. She spoke softly, "No one ever does. Don't worry, I won't take that comment in the wrong way. No one notices me. I'm ... like a ghost."

"No, you ... I just didn't ... "

"I've seen you everyday for a year." A soft laugh. "Your hair is hard to miss. But no one ever looked at me. I'm used to it; it was the same in middle school. I thought it would be different in high school, but I don't know why. Everyone is just the same, and my life is just the same. To be truthful, I like the shadows."

Ichigo frowned.

"Don't you have friends?"

"No. No one can get close, or they might find out."

"Find out _what_?"

Rukia smiled sadly again, whispering, "Why I like the shadows," before she stood to her feet, wincing, and walked off after bowing politely to Ichigo. She told Yuzu she was feeling bad, and that she needed to lay down. Yuzu smiled and nodded.

"I'll bring you some cookies, Rukia-chan, when they're done!" she added happily.

Ichigo frowned as he thought about what Rukia had said. Her words flowed through his mind, wrapping themselves around him like chains. He'd never forget how sad and small her voice sounded when she had whispered those last five words to him. When he first saw her, she seemed weak and fragile. When he'd gotten to know her a little, she'd seemed strong under everything, she only needed to pull herself out of her shell and shine. But now, the weakness he'd seen in her the first time he'd laid eyes on her seemed to flood back and consume his mind as he thought.

"You know, if you keep frowning like that, your face will get stuck."

Ichigo looked up quickly, surprised, and the chains of Rukia's words that seemed to have formed in his mind disappeared as he stared into the smiling face of his father.

"Stuff it. I'm thinking," he said, looking back down into his lap as he clasped his hands together. Isshin dropped down into the couch beside him with a large, over-dramatic sigh and turned over to where he was staring directly into Ichigo's eyes.

It annoyed the younger Kurosaki. Ichigo showed this annoyance through growling at his dad.

"Something's bothering you," Isshin observed.

"Is not," Ichigo snapped, but both of them knew it was true.

"..."

After a pause from both of them, Ichigo sighed and said slowly,

"You know, she was in my class for _a year_ and I never noticed her."

"Rukia-chan?"

"Hey, dad, would it be alright if we ... didn't try and call her family for a bit?"

Ichigo bit his lip as he spoke. Isshin sat up, a slightly more serious look on his face as he stared into Ichigo's amber eyes. There was a shattering silence in the room, the only thing breaking the moment was the soft humming from Yuzu in the kitchen.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Isshin asked slowly. Ichigo turned his eyes to the ground; Rukia had obviously trusted him when she had let little hints out about what had happened to her. Should he really betray that trust, by telling his dad?

"Ah, nothing, dad. I just have a bad feeling about sending her home."

"Well, bad feeling or not, I know how to get on contact with her family now and I need to do it. We can't very well let them worry because you have a _bad feeling_."

Ichigo was so frustrated; should he tell his dad or not? If he did, whatever trust Rukia had put into him would disappear, but if he didn't, they would have to call her parents, and if it _was_ someone in her family that was hurting her ... he didn't want to think about sending her right back into the clutches of the very people who had nearly killed her.

"Dad, no. Don't call."

"Ichigo, if there is something you know that I don't, _tell me_." Isshin's voice was firm; he could tell his son was holding something back, and was fighting with the choice that had presented itself to him. Isshin's normal silly behavior slipped away as he was faced with helping the quiet, suffering girl that had came into his clutches only twenty-two hours before. Finally, Ichigo spoke.

"I ... she trusted me when she told me. Wouldn't I be betraying her trust if I said anything?"

"Is it her father who did this to her? Her mom, brother ... _who_, Ichigo?"

"I don't know, dad, not really. But she hinted a few things, and-" Ichigo paused, sighing deeply, rephrasing the choice in his head. If he told his dad what he knew, he might not call, and Rukia would be safe for only that much longer. If he didn't tell, his dad _would_ call, and he would be sending her back home, where she was most likely being abused. "And ... I think it's someone in her family. She didn't actually, clearly, tell me_ anything_, but when I mentioned calling her parents, she looked scared, dad."

"Her father, maybe?" Isshin guessed, frowning. Ichigo shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not."

"I will hold of calling for another hour or so; go, talk to her. See if she'll tell you anything, alright? But don't take advantage of her or anything, my son!" The last words were spoken with a teasing edge and Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Dad ... " There was a warning edge to his voice. Despite the seriousness of the moment, Isshin could never take a conversion seriously without a smart jab in there. Of course, when Ichigo had gotten 'The Talk', his dad had managed a pretty serious face throughout the whole thing, until the end when twelve-year-old Ichigo ran from the room with a throughly traumatized look on his face.

Isshin slapped Ichigo on the back as hard as he could manage, and, rubbing his sore back and muttering dark, horrible ways to kill his father under his breath, Ichigo began to walk out of the room. He stopped in his tracks, however, when the front door slammed open hard. Amber eyes went wide and his heart sped up before he could stop it.

"Where the hell is she?" the intruder asked loudly.

Ichigo automatically took a step in the direction of Rukia's room where she was most likely sleeping, unaware, as he stared into the unmistakable violet eyes of the man in front of him. His own eyes went cold as he watched. It was _him_, the man that had been hurting Rukia. Ichigo was sure, and the man was drunk. It could be smelled on his breath, and seen in his step as the older man staggered over to Ichigo and yelled, louder,

"I asked where the hell my daughter is!" His hot breath his onto Ichigo's face as the older man reached out, grabbing Ichigo by the collar of his shirt. Frowning, Ichigo slapped the man's hand away and stood his ground.

"Get out!" Ichigo yelled. "You're not welcome here!"

"The hell I am! She's my kid. I know she's here, tell me where she is!"

"Yuzu, go up to your room!" Isshin yelled, watching to make sure his little girl got up the stairs before breaking into the fight as he walked over. "Ichigo, step back!"

"But dad-"

"_Step back_."

Ichigo could see his dad meant it, so he took a step back and watched as Isshin stood up to the older man.

"Dad, wait-"

This time, Ichigo was cut off by a small, soft voice just as he felt a burning fire in his cheek. A fist had made hard contact with his face as he turned around to see Rukia holding tightly to the door of her clinic room. Her violet eyes were just barely opened as she limped forward, hiding her arm; it was still in a cast.

Everything happened at once. Isshin got pissed; Rukia walked forward only to be greeted by her dad grabbing onto the back of her sweater and pulling her forward. Ichigo reacted immediately as Rukia stumbled to her knees and was yanked painfully back up. Ignoring the pain in his cheek and the blood on his face, he walked over and kicked Rukia's father square in the face. Isshin pouted.

"You beat me to it."

Ichigo smirked as he leaned down beside Rukia, who had fallen to the floor when her bruised, swollen legs had given out beneath her.

"You alright?"

"Y-yes ... "

"I'm calling the cops," Isshin said to the man, watching as he struggled to his feet. "You're Kuchiki Kai, right?"

No answer, but the silence from Kai, who was on the ground nursing a bloody lip, was answer enough.

"Thought so. You can go out and get yourself drunk for all I care, but when you hurt someone who doesn't deserve it, and when you hurt _my son_, that is when I get pissed, clear?"

A nod.

"Good. Now, I will give you half a minute to get your ass out of here, _without_ Rukia-chan, starting now. One ... two ... three ... "

Isshin started counting as Kai stood to his feet. He towered over Isshin by about five inches, but the fiery look in the smaller man's eyes got the message across clear.

"Four ... five ... oh, and for the record, Rukia-chan won't be coming back to you. _Ever_. Six ... seven ... "

"I'll get that ungrateful brat back."

"Nine ... ten ... "

Kai opened the door and slammed it, and as soon as he was gone, Isshin ran over to the phone and dialed the police; the phone was in the other room, and he hadn't called before only because he wasn't leaving his son and Rukia-chan alone in the room with the elder Kuchiki.

A police car was promised, but as Isshin looked out the window, he knew that Kai was already gone. They'd been partners back in the day, when they'd been in the same police training classes. But he'd changed after he'd gotten married and had kids. When Kai's youngest daughter had been about a year old, his wife and older daughter had died, and ever since that day, Isshin hadn't let Ichigo, who had also been about one at the time and liked to play with Kai's little son, ever go near the man again.

Kai had disappeared this time, but he would be back.

That was something that Isshin, and Ichigo and Rukia, were sure of.

* * *

As for Isshin having been a policeman but is now a doctor ... all will be told in time, so no asking about that. But you have every right to kill me for putting Rukia's dad back in this.

**_Please Review!_**


	4. Eternal Pain

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for Beta'ing!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

**Concrete Angel — IV**

**_November 13th, 2007 — 6:03 PM_**

"Hey, Rukia ... you all right?" Ichigo asked, leaning against the wall and wincing as pain shot through his head. He'd developed a headache from where Kai had hit him so hard on the side of his head. The bleeding on his temple had stopped and had been covered with a white, gauze bandage by the shaking hands of Yuzu.

"I'll be fine."

Silence fell between the young girl and Ichigo as he stared into her violet eyes. Finally, he sighed deeply and turned to walk out of the room.

"Whatever. I'll be around, if you need anything. Dinner is in about twenty minutes. Feel up to eating out with us, or do you want me to bring it to you?"

"I guess I feel up to it. I feel a lot better, really."

"OK. Well, c'ya later."

With that and a small wave, Ichigo walked out of the room in search of the homework he still had to do. He met his father in the hallway, and they stared straight at each other for a minute before Isshin said,

"I just want you to know, son, that what you did was very stupid."

"What? Standing up to Kuchiki-freaking-Kai? But I-"

Isshin smiled and cut Ichigo off.

"But it was also very brave."

"..."

Leaving Ichigo without words, Isshin walked off, whistling. Shaking his head, Ichigo found himself heading into the kitchen to where the phone was ringing.

" 'Ello?" he said into the receiver, leaning up against the wall and picking a carrot up from the counter; Yuzu slapped his hand with the spoon and he winced as he popped the carrot into his mouth.

"Kurosaki Isshin?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Nope. This is his son, Kurosaki Ichigo. He's ... busy at the moment. Can I take a message?" Ichigo said through a mouthful of carrot.

"Tell him to call Jahana Karman; I've got the test results that he asked for."

"Results ... ?"

"Just tell him. He'll understand."

With that, the man on the other end hung up and Ichigo was left with a confused look on his face, the phone still in his hand. A million thoughts ran through his head as he tried to figure out what the man had just said. Results? What results?

"Hey, Ichi-Niisan?"

Ichigo turned around, snapped out of his daze, and put the phone down as he stared at his little sister.

"Huh?"

She smiled and said, "Dinner's ready. Would you tell daddy and Karin? And see if you can get Rukia-chan to join us."

Ichigo nodded and walked off, his phone conversation still running through his head. When he found Karin, she nodded and jumped off her bed, putting her book down and walking down the stairs while Ichigo went in search of Isshin. He found him in his bedroom, reading a book.

"Ah, dinner's ready. Also ..."

"Yeah?" Isshin asked, not looking up from his book. Ichigo said, still confused,

"Jahana Karman called. He said that 'The test results are ready'. That's all."

Isshin looked up sharply and jumped off of his bed, closing his book. Now, Ichigo was even more confused. Mention of dinner hadn't moved him from his book, but mention of the phone call had. Shaking his head, he continued on his quest to haul everyone together for dinner. Now, to get Rukia to join them ...

Soon, he found himself outside her door.

"Oy, Rukia ... dinner's ready."

Rukia looked at him and nodded, turning around and wincing as her sore body moved. She stepped down onto the floor and nearly fell over. Her eyes closed tightly as she waited to hit the floor, but it never came. Ichigo had caught her and was looking down, slightly amused and slightly worried.

"Woah, do you want help?"

"No," Rukia snapped, pulling herself out of his arms. "I can walk on my own, and I have been able to for fifteen years."

"All right ... " Ichigo raised an eyebrow as she tried to make it across the room. He was ever-so-thankful that she had changed out of the hospital gown, as they tended to hang open in the back. She was now wearing some of Yuzu's clothes; a tan, knee-length skirt and a white t-shirt. Over the t-shirt, she wore a jean jacket that cut off around the middle of her stomach. On her feet she wore only a pair of white socks.

"You sure you don't need help?" Ichigo asked again.

"Yes."

Ichigo sighed. As soon as she fell gracefully on her butt, she might accept his help. But until then, he would watch her wobble around.

"Ichi-Niisan! Dinner!" Yuzu called from the kitchen.

Or not.

Picking her up under one arm, he began to walk out of the room and into the kitchen.

"Let me go, Ichigo!" she yelled, frowning as he shrugged and moved his arms away from her small body. Bright violet eyes went wide and she fell onto the floor with a loud 'thump'. She yelled, "Baka! I didn't mean like that!"

Ichigo bent down beside her, smirking.

"Then be more specific."

She was close to steaming as he helped her to her feet again and she put her arm around his shoulder for support. They walked into the kitchen where Isshin was talking quietly into the phone and Karin was eating rice. Yuzu smiled at Rukia and set down two more plates at the table where Ichigo and Rukia sat. She joined them soon, and Ichigo ignored everything that was said at the table as he tried to overhear his dad's conversation.

Just as soon as he caught a few words, like 'Thanks', and 'I wished it had come out differently', his father hung up and said unhappily,

"I'm going to skip dinner, all right? I need to go out."

"Where to, daddy?" Yuzu asked, innocently looking up into her father's eyes. Isshin smiled and patted her head.

"Just out. I need to talk to a friend is all."

"OK!"

Ichigo stood up from his chair and stopped his dad before he could walk out the door.

"Dad, what was that phone call about?"

"Nothing to concern you, Ichigo. Maybe I'll tell you when I get back. But now I need to go talk to Jahana-san."

"Fine. What time will you be back?"

"Probably after the twins bed-time. You can wait up, if you like."

Ichigo nodded and walked back into the kitchen where Rukia and Yuze were laughing over something the younger girl had said. Even Karin was smiling a little as Ichigo sat down at the table and finished his dinner in silence. It was only after dinner, as he was helping Rukia back to her room, that he spoke.

"Ah ... how long has this been going on?"

Rukia didn't speak as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"How long has your father been ... " He trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence. Rukia didn't answer until she was sitting on her bed, holding her left arm, which was wrapped tightly in bandages, in her right one.

"You know, once, when he ... broke my arm before this and I came home with it in a cast, he took the cast of with a knife. He doesn't like it when I take care of myself like that."

Ichigo's frown was deep as he stared at her fingers, which were dancing over the cast she had on now.

"How long has he been hurting you?"

"He tried to kill me when I was little."

Ichigo let out a deep breath. He was terribly mad now as he stared at Rukia. He knew that, if she had had a normal life, she would be strong and happy. But she seemed to fragile now, like if you touched her, she might break. Her eyes seemed to hold such a deep sadness that he would lose himself in it when he stared into her eyes.

"Don't send me back there."

"We won't, don't worry. My dad called the police, so they'll find out what happened."

"No they won't," Rukia said, smiling sadly as she looked up at him. "They never do. My dad used to be a policeman, and a lot of those men are his friends; he makes up stories about my being accident-prone. They always believe him, of course, and not me."

"Well, I won't let you go back there, all right?"

"Promise?"

Ichigo nodded, smirking.

"Yeah, I promise. Now, get some sleep."

He stood up and walked out of the room as Rukia slipped under her blanket, holding it tightly to her small body as she closed her eyes happily and care-free, probably, Ichigo thought, for the first time in her life.

He closed the door behind him and walked into the living room where he sat down on the couch, picking up his homework and sighing deeply. He didn't get too far, however, as soon the door opened and his dad walked inside. Yuzu and Karin were indeed sleeping already, and as his father walked into the living room, he put his homework to the side and said, "So, you gonna tell me now, dad?"

Isshin turned around and saw Ichigo sitting there, pencil in his fingers and a small frown on his face. Sighing, he took a seat beside his son.

"The call was about Rukia-chan."

"Huh?"

Ichigo was even more confused now.

"Rukia? What about Rukia?"

Isshin sighed and Ichigo couldn't help but notice that his father had taken on a completely serious attitude. Whatever the 'results' had been about, it wasn't a laughing matter.

"Dad ... "

"The results were something that I was worried about since the first night Rukia-chan came here. Karin took the samples herself, as I didn't feel comfortable doing it, and I sent them off to be analyzed right away. I asked an old friend from the police force to do it for me since he owed me a favor. I knew the second that I saw that girl that it hadn't been an accident, what had happened to her. I knew she'd been abused, but I had never guessed that it had been her father. I thought more along the lines of a boyfriend, or a mugger ... so I needed to know ... "

Isshin paused, as if he was having trouble saying what he knew. Ichigo growled,

"Dad, c'mon. What is it? Is Rukia gonna be all right?"

"I don't think she knows about this, or else she wouldn't be so calm about everything."

Another pause in which Ichigo realized that his heart was beating fast in his chest.

"Ichigo, Rukia-chan has been raped."

* * *

Now how's _that_ for a cliffie? Hmm? Hope you liked this chapter, BTW! And sorry this chapter was shorter than the others.

**_Please Review!_**


	5. Crystal Tears

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel **by** Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007 **for beta'ing!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

_**

* * *

**_

**Concrete Angel — V**

**_November 13th, 2007 — 10:10 PM_**

"Ichigo, Rukia-chan has been raped."

Ichigo sat and stared at his dad for a second, not totally realizing what had been said, and the weight that his father's words held. His amber eyes were wide and, though he hadn't noticed, his face was pale.

"Dad, stop joking," he whispered quietly, his voice shaking.

"Ichigo, I'm not joking. I would _never_ joke about something like this." Isshin's eyes held seriousness and total truth, but Ichigo wasn't ready to accept it just yet; though he'd only known her for a short while, he felt as if Rukia was special to him, just like Yuzu and Karin were, but in a different way, somehow.

"Dad, please, s-stop joking."

"Ichigo, I'm not-"

"It _can't_ be true!" Ichigo yelled, cutting off his father's words as he stood to his feet and turned away. He realized that, if it were true, that Rukia hadn't only been raped, but she'd been raped by her _father_, the man who was supposed to hug her when she was hurt and protect her from the boys that would do to her what he had done himself.

"Ichigo, calm down. We can't help Rukia by being angry. We can't take back what happened."

"How can I _not_ be angry?" Ichigo asked, turning around. Amber eyes were filled with sorrow and pain, but most of all, hate and anger toward Kuchiki Kai.

"You have every right to be angry. But now that I've told you, we have to tell Rukia-chan. She must not know."

"How can we be sure, dad? How?" Ichigo asked, dropping back down onto the couch and putting his head in his hands. His hair spiked out between his fingers as he sighed deeply, trying to keep himself from shaking.

"Ichigo, you're a teen, so you must have experimented by now, if not with a woman then by yourself. But when a male reaches his peak in sexual intercourse, he releases a semen that resides inside a woman's body and can, sometimes, impregnate her. When doing a rape test or exam, you can, if it was recent, tell if the woman was raped."

"And ... you're sure?"

"Positive. Karman-san told me that it happened to Rukia-chan within the last seventy-two hours."

Ichigo took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"When ... do we tell her?"

"As soon as possible. If she doesn't remember for some reason, then it'd be better for us to tell her, than for her to find out on her own through her own memories. If she does find out on her own, she'll never tell anyone. She needs help, and someone has to be there for her."

"We will, won't we?" Ichigo asked, looking up. "I mean, we aren't going to abandon her or anything, right? From those samples, couldn't you do a DNA test and put Kai in jail, or better yet, get him shot? We can't just dump Rukia into a foster home, not with everything she's been through."

Isshin nodded, but didn't say anything. Ichigo stood to his feet again and paced back and forth. A million thoughts were running through his head and they seemed to completely consume his mind. But the one thought and feeling that was pulsing deep in his body was anger and hate; he wanted to hate Kuchiki Kai for the rest of his life, and if that man were to ever die, he wanted to be on the end of the gun that had shot him.

"Dammit!"

Ichigo's voice echoed throughout the room as he slammed his fist into the wall. He barely even noticed as small droplets of blood made their way down the white paint. Isshin winced as he watched his son shake in anger.

"Dad ... can I be the one who tells her?" Ichigo asked quietly, not moving from his spot and not taking his hand from the wall.

Isshin nodded, saying, "I think it'd be best that way. You two seem pretty close, considering."

"Thanks ... dad."

He wondered if she'd ever whispered the word 'dad' without being afraid, or without terrible memories being the only thing to accompany the thought of the man that called himself her father.

"But she's not awake now; let her sleep in peace for just a bit more."

Ichigo finally pulled his hand off the wall. His fingers clenched into fists and the droplets of blood that had been sliding against the wall were now being squeezed across his skin, pooling around his palm and finally falling onto the hard, wood floor.

"How could ... how could she not remember, though?"

Isshin said, slowly, "When an event in a person's life is too traumatic, they can block it out mentally. Remember when you were five, and you accidentally killed that baby frog? You cried for an hour in your mom's lap, and then fell asleep. When you woke up, you didn't remember a thing until I told you weeks later."

Ichigo forced a weak laugh. "Yeah, I remember. Well, not killing the frog, but I remember you telling me."

"I'm guessing Rukia-chan buried the memory of what happened to her just as your buried the memory of killing the frog."

"Why, dad? Just ... why?" Ichigo questioned, opening his hand and staring at the blood that had pooled in his palm from his knuckles. Shaking his head, he closed his amber eyes. "Why her?"

* * *

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**_November 13th, 2007 — 12:23 PM_**

Ichigo pulled up a chair beside Rukia's bed and sat down, staring intently at the young girl. Her soft, raven hair was pooled out beneath her face and her fingers were lightly curled up under her head. Her breathing was calm, and Ichigo smiled sadly at the way she seemed so insecure in her sleep. He wished she'd not wake up for a long time; in her dreams, she was free. When she awoke, he had to tell her.

He had to tell her what her father had done to her.

He felt anger flood into his body at even the thought of that man touching Rukia in those ways.

"Ichigo?"

The sleepy, quiet voice mad every drop of anger drain out of him as he moved his eyes to meet Rukia's own intense, violet ones.

"Hey, good to see you awake. Although to be fair, it's past midnight."

Anything to help him stall what he had to say. To stop what he had to tell her. He barley noticed that his voice was beginning to shake or that his breathing was becoming slower.

"Hmm ... may I have some water?" she asked, stretching in the bed, her small hands above her head. Ichigo nodded and left the room for a second, finally coming back with a glass in his hands; they were shaking.

"Hey, um ... well, there's something I need to tell ya," Ichigo said, helping her sit up and then putting the glass in her hands. She looked up at him as she sipped at the water. He could feel his heart breaking for the small girl, barely a women, even, in front of him.

"I ... my dad took some tests and sent them off, and we got the results back today. I asked my dad if I could be the one to tell you, and ... God, this is hard."

"What is it?" she asked quietly, wrapping her small fingers around her glass a little tighter.

"It must have happened within the last seventy-two hours, but ... " Ichigo kept pausing. He knew this would break her. It would tear her apart inside. God, why her? _Why_? Taking a deep, shaking breath in, Ichigo finally spoke, "Rukia ... the test my dad took was a rape test. It was ... positive."

The glass slipped from her hands and shattered into a hundred pieces on the floor. Ichigo could see the tears that were beginning to pool in her eyes and the way her hands were trembling. Her violet eyes were wide, and they were filled with complete and utter fear.

"No father, please!"

Concern welled up inside Ichigo as he watched her. He was completely numb; he couldn't do anything as he watched her curl up into the corner, her hand shaking as she tried to push someone that only haunted her dreams away from her.

_"No father, please!"_

_He didn't stop coming. Her face was bruised and her wrists were held tightly up against the wall, one of his large, strong hands holding them together as his other hand ran down her bare skin. Tears were in her eyes as she felt his fingers penetrate her._

_"No, please, stop, please ... "_

_Her soft sobs were never heard._

Ichigo's eyes went wide as he watched her yells break down into quiet, begging sobs. Her body was shaking terribly as he jumped up from his chair and walked over. He knew he shouldn't touch her; not if she was remembering something like this, but he couldn't stop himself as he reached out and touched his hand to her cheek. Her violet eyes met his and she continued to cry.

"No, please, no ... "

"Rukia! Look at me! I'm not him, I'm_ not _him! I promise I'll never hurt you," Ichigo said firmly, his own voice shaking with emotion.

_She curled up into the corner when her father carelessly tossed her to the side. Her body hurt all over, but most of all down there. She didn't want to move, to breathe ... she could see blood. Her blood. It was on the floor, all around her. _

_She just wanted it all to end. He'd finally taken the last, precious thing from her that she was sure was safe._

_Then, she heard the voice of her father once again, followed by the sound of his zipper going up._

_"Hey, Byakuya, want a turn?"_

_"No, nii-sama, please, _no_. Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone."_

_Her desperate voice did nothing to keep the other man away from her. Her own screams were muffled by a strong hand over her mouth as tears made their way down her face again._

Ichigo took the crying girl into his arms. She didn't resist, and her hand clutched tightly to his shirt as he held her close. Her sobs hadn't stopped and her shaking only grew stronger. Whatever he'd said ... she'd remembered. She'd remembered what had happened that day.

"No, nii-sama, please, no..."

Ichigo felt his anger rise to a whole new level as Rukia gripped tighter to his shirt. He was sitting on her bed now, and she had curled her tiny body into his lap. He honestly didn't know why she was allowing him to touch her after what she had remembered, but as she shook from fear in his arms, he held her tighter.

"Rukia, are you all right?"

It was a stupid question, really, and he knew it, but he didn't receive an answer from her. She only continued to cry, and he continued to hold her. He didn't let her go even when she fell asleep in his arms. As he watched her small body shake from fear even in sleep, he vowed never to harm a hair on her head, and he vowed that, no matter what, he would never stop until Rukia's father, and her own _brother_, who had done this to her, were locked up in jail or even dead.

And strangely, it didn't shock him in the least that the latter idea was the one that he liked the most.

Closing his eyes briefly, he laid Rukia down on the bed and covered her up. He wouldn't leave tonight; he needed to be there for her when she woke up. As he walked over to his chair, however, he noticed his dad standing in the doorway. Ichigo didn't say a word; he only sat down on his chair and took Rukia's small, pale hand into his.

"Not only her father, dad, but her brother, too."

It was all that Ichigo said, but it was more than enough.

"God ... " Isshin ran a hand through his hair and walked inside the room. "Ichigo ... thank you, for telling her. As much as it may not seem like it now, it was best she knew sooner rather than later."

Ichigo just nodded, and then Isshin said what he'd been hoping wouldn't be said.

"In about two weeks, maybe sooner, we can find out if she's pregnant or not. It's not a high risk, but it's fairly possible."

Ichigo didn't respond, but he knew that, no matter the results, he'd still be by her side.

* * *

Hmm ... who wants to help me kill Kai and Byakuya? And ... although the outline is already done, and unless some plot-line comes and bites me in the butt, she **won't be** pregnant... but what do _you guys_ think: Should Rukia be pregnant or not?

**NOTE: **I have had my Internet disconnected while I move: It will be back up before mid-May. I had time over at a friends house to edit this and let ya all know, but I hope to update it before the Internet is back. The new chapter is about half done, so it should be up as soon as I can find Internet and a computer for about half an hour or so. Sorry! At the **latest**, it will be updated May 10th!

**_Please Review!_**


	6. Forever Cry

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot. _

**

* * *

**

**Concrete Angel — VI**

**_November 14th, 2007 — 7:02 AM_**

Rukia's bright, violet eyes were focused on the wall, her small body not moving. She was aware of the presence by the door, but chose to ignore him, too. Neither spoke, and neither made a move to come any closer. Silence was thick in the room, and if she listened intently, she could hear his breathing.

"Rukia?"

His voice, usually rough, broke gently through the silence. Rukia didn't look up at him as he moved closer and sat down in the chair beside her bed. She stifled a sob and hugged her knees tighter to her chest.

"Rukia ... "

"Leave me alone. Please, just leave me."

Ichigo didn't move from his chair and Rukia didn't say anything else. He would wait. If she needed time, he would wait.

After about an hour of waiting, however, he fell asleep in the chair and began snoring slightly. Rukia, despite trying not to, couldn't help but smile a little at the childish sound coming from Ichigo. She turned around a little and stared into his face. It was completely calm, and his hands were carelessly sprawled out on his lap.

Reaching out, she let her fingers dance over his cheek before pulling her hand back and resting it in her other. She continued to stare at him for only seconds more before she lay down again and closed her eyes, curling her small body close to the wall as she cried.

**_November 14th, 2007 — 6:30 PM_**

Rukia was staring at the wall when her door was opened again and someone walked inside. She was just about to open her mouth to tell Ichigo to leave her alone when she realized that the footsteps were lighter and softer than Ichigo's. Wiping her eyes a little, Rukia turned around to see Yuzu, Ichigo's smiling sister.

"Hello, Rukia-chan."

She forced a brave smile.

"Hi, Yuzu."

The two girls stared at each other for a few seconds, and Rukia immediately found herself more comfortable with this little girl than she had been with Ichigo. Yuzu finally spoke;

"Rukia-chan, I was wondering if you'd like to come have dinner with us. I ... uh ... I made dinner special tonight, because you looked really sad today and I wanted to make you smile."

Rukia was caught by surprise at Yuzu's words; she wasn't used to having something special done for her because she was sad. Her father, or her brother, had never done anything like that. Slowly, Rukia said, "I ... sure, Yuzu; I'd love to have dinner with you and your family."

Yuzu smiled brightly, and Rukia thought that, even if all she could get was the little girl's smile from saying yes, it would have been worth it.

Yuzu helped Rukia stand on her feet, then they walked out into the kitchen together. Rukia saw Ichigo leaning up against the wall, and he smiled gently.

Dinner was quiet, and Isshin, much to Ichigo's surprise, didn't make one stupid joke for the rest of the night. Karin finished first, and asked to be excused, and Isshin soon followed. Rukia, feeling more at home with the two people in front of her, brought her feet up in the chair and hugged her knees to her chest while she continued to absently move her food around on her plate.

"Rukia?"

It was Ichigo. She looked up, letting her fork fall in surprise; barely anyone had spoken since they all sat down to dinner.

"C'mon, Rukia, you have to eat something," he said, staring into her full plate.

"Yea, Rukia-chan. You skipped lunch today and barely had any breakfast, either," Yuzu added, a slight look of concern on her face. Rukia picked up her fork again, but didn't eat.

"I'm sorry, Yuzu, I'm just not hungry."

It was nearly twenty minutes later, after she had forced herself to eat something, even if it was just a small bit, that Rukia walked slowly back to her room. She sat down on her bed and leaned against the wall, fighting her tears. Why did she cry, anyway? Why did she feel so much pain from this? It hadn't been her fault, there had been nothing she could do to stop it ... right?

Closing her eyes briefly, she forced back the tears that threatened to come.

She was finished crying.

She was away from the man that called himself her father, and she was away from her brother. She had a chance at life now ... and she needed to take it.

**_November 15th, 2007 — 9:20 AM_**

When the sun had come up that morning, she hadn't thought that only hours later, Yuzu would have somehow talked her into coming on a family picnic with the twins and the two Kurosaki men. But there she was, walking with them as they headed for their picnic spot. She was falling behind, and Ichigo kept glancing back in concern; he'd been a little jumpy since she had exited the house. Maybe he didn't like the thought of her being outside where anything, or anyone, could hurt her.

She smiled as she let the wind blow through her hair. The weather was quite unusual; only a week before, a light dusting of snow had settled over the small town, and now, on November fifteenth, it was over seventy-two degrees outside. The weatherman had predicted a record high that day, and they had already reached and surpassed it.

After helping Yuzu set out the picnic, Rukia sat down on the large quilt, her hands folded in her lap and her legs tucked beneath her as she stared out into the river.

Ichigo noticed her staring at the clear, sparkling water and smiled.

"Want to play in the water?" he asked jokingly, smiling.

She smiled, too, and said gently, "I love the water.

He was really hoping that this trip would help her a little. He had no clue what she was going through, but acceptance was the beginning of healing, and Rukia had already gotten through that part.

Today, she needed to forget everything that had happened to her, even if just for a minute, and he wanted to help her.

"Well, then come on. Yuzu never lets anyone touch the picnic basket until we've all had a chance to unwind a little and play around, and she and Karin already found Jinta and Ururu to play soccer, so we have time to go catch a minnow, if you'd like."

She raised an eyebrow at him, but took the hand he offered; he pulled her to her feet, and as they walked over to the river, he couldn't help but notice that she seemed far too calm about everything. He'd been against her coming in the first place, but of course, Yuzu and Karin were unaware of what had happened to Rukia, so they'd been pretty constant about her coming.

Rukia walked over to the riverside and sat down, pulling off her shoes before she slowly walked in. Ichigo watched as she moved around in the water. It was very cold, even in the warm weather, but she liked it as the cold nipped at her ankles.

"Are you all right?" he asked slowly. She turned to look at him, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"I don't think I'll be all right for a long time."

Moving further into the water, she reached in and tried to close her slim fingers around a small minnow that was swimming by. It slipped easily out of her grasp and she went after the frog instead. Ichigo watched with an amused smile on his face as she continued to miss every target that she went after.

"If you keep going after them like that, they'll all get away."

"Oh, and I suppose you want to get yourself in her and show me the right way, then?"

As she spoke, Ichigo was pulling off his shoes and rolling up his jeans. He stepped into the water with a splash; Rukia glared at him for getting water all over her.

"Let me show you," he said, reaching over and taking her hands into his. He noticed her flinch, and said, "May I?"

She nodded and he stood behind her, his larger hands enclosing around hers as he slowly showed her how to move her hands around in the water; when a small minnow swam by, he touched her fingers and made them close around the fish; she let it go just as soon as she had caught it.

She smiled.

A real smile.

"I caught it."

"Yeah."

Ichigo continued to stand beside her as she reached her hands into the cold water once again.

"You're taking it really well, Rukia. I don't know if I could, if I were in your position."

What had happened to her was constantly referred to as 'it', because neither wanted to really mention what _had_ happened.

Rukia paused in the water for only a second before she began moving about again. Her back was to him, and she didn't turn around.

"I thought about it last night. I don't want to cry anymore." She finally turned around to face him, a tiny smile on her face. In her hands she gripped the flower she had just picked from the side of the river. "I'm hurting inside, more than I've ever hurt before. But there's no reason to cry. I want to forget him. I don't ever want to go back there."

Ichigo reached out and let his fingers dance over her cheek. She looked up into his eyes, and when he pulled her gently into his arms and held her, she cried for the last time.

"I won't let you, Rukia."

"Promise?" she asked quietly.

"Of course, stupid."

She laughed quietly, wiping tears from her eyes, and he smirked.

She wanted nothing more than for this one promise that was made to her to be kept. She didn't care about all the promises that had father had broken ... this one was the only one that mattered.

As her tears slowly followed the flower petals down the stream, she turned and walked away, Ichigo at her side. She found a laugh in her heart as the frog that she'd been trying to catch jumped up onto Ichigo's head and sat in his mess of orange hair.

She was hurting inside, and she wouldn't heal for a long time to come, but she would never let her father or her brother make her shed a tear again.

* * *

Well, I found writing time. See, I'm a backup babysitter for a family that lives close. Their normal babysitter is sick, so I told them I'd help out for a few days. Well, they have Internet, and there is _nothing _else to do while the two little ones are napping. I already cleaned the mess we made making cookies, so I decided to log on and write. They're gonna be up soon, so sorry that it's not as edited as I would have liked it to be.

**NOTE:** Depending on how many days I have to babysit, I might be able to update **WIYH**.

**_Please Review!_**


	7. Butterfly Kiss

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

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_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot. _

**

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**Concrete Angel — VII**

**_November 15th, — 11:02 AM_**

_For the first time in my life... I'm really happy._

The thought made Rukia smile as she watched Yuzu and Karin played soccer from her spot above them in the tree, but her smile soon dropped and she screamed loudly as Ichigo's face popped up in front of her. He laughed and she reached up, trying to hit him. He moved quickly out of the way, and she tilted her violet eyes up to see what he was doing.

He was hanging upside down from the branch above her and grinning like an idiot, no doubt in reaction from her scream.

"You scream like a girl."

Since she couldn't reach him to kick the smug smile off of his face, she settled for glaring at the orange-haired, smiling menace.

"I hate you."

"But you're smiling," Ichigo pointed out, and, with one swift motion, he swung from where he was sitting and landed on the branch Rukia was on. Violet eyes wide, she gripped it tightly as it shook from the new weight. Ichigo continued, "You didn't smile much before."

Rukia was silent as she continued to grip the tree. She didn't even realize she was gripping it, however, until Ichigo reached over and gently took her fingers from around the branch. She folded her hands in her lap and kicked her feet back and forth, the cold wind blowing through her hair as a million thoughts ran through her head.

"You think too much," Ichigo kindly informed her.

Since he was now within range to deal physical harm, Rukia reached out and kicked him. Her small foot made contact with his knee, and his amber eyes flew open as he began to lose his balance on the tree.

Rukia realized what was happening just in time, and reached out to grab his hand. He was now dangling about seven feet from the ground, and his glare was shifted in her direction.

All she could offer was a small, sheepish smile as he gripped her hand tightly.

"Soo ... " It sounded as if he was attempting to strike up conversation as he looked around at the grass below him, then back up at Rukia. "Now what, genius?"

"I could drop you," Rukia said, a large smile on her face as she stared directly into Ichigo's amber eyes, showing him exactly how serious she was.

"You wouldn't."

But he knew she would.

"Don't you dare... "

"Or what?" Rukia challenged, pulling one of her fingers from his grasp. Seven feet wouldn't kill him. It wouldn't even hurt him!

"Rukia... "

"Is this some new bonding act between teenagers these days?"

Rukia was so surprised that she accidentally let go of Ichigo's hand and lost her balance in the process. Both were now glaring up at Kurosaki Isshin as they tried to untangle themselves from each other; Rukia had fallen on top of Ichigo and his legs had somehow managed to get caught up in hers.

Ignoring Ichigo's father, Rukia frowned as Ichigo's hand ventured somewhere it shouldn't, and even though it was just because of their position, she felt the need to bite him, anyway.

"Ye-ouch!" he yelled, taking his hand back and glaring at the little midget in front of him. "What the hell was that for?"

"Keep your hands to yourself, Strawberry!"

She glared and he glared, and somewhere along the line, Isshin had disappeared. Finally, standing to his feet, Ichigo reached his hand out to help Rukia up.

She stared into his eyes, and whispered a quiet 'thank you' as she turned away and began to walk over to where Yuzu was setting out the picnic blanket. Ichigo just stood there for a second, staring at his hand. His eyes followed Rukia as she walked, and he found himself smiling.

_"I thought about it last night. I don't want to cry anymore." She finally turned around to face him, a tiny smile on her face. In her hands she gripped the flower she had just picked from the side of the river._

Sitting down on the grass, Ichigo found himself thinking of the words that Rukia had uttered only earlier that day. She was so strong ... how was she living through this?

_"I'm hurting inside, more than I've ever hurt before. But there's no reason to cry. I want to forget him. I don't ever want to go back there."_

Ichigo sighed as he leaned back up against the tree. He'd been thinking on what she had said a lot, and he found himself a little unsure of the promise he had made to her.

_"I won't let you, Rukia."_

He'd told her he wouldn't let her go back, and he would do everything within his power to make sure that he kept his word. But the doubt in her voice when she'd questioned him had made him question himself.

But he wouldn't let her go back. There was no way in hell he would ever let her go back to her father.

But the words that she had said after they had left the river still haunted him a little.

_"He'll try and make me come back. He always does. And he always wins."_

"Well, he'll lose this time, Rukia, because you're not leaving my side."

With those words, Ichigo stood from his spot and began to walk over to where Rukia and his family were laughing happily. He liked the sound of Rukia's laughter. When he finally reached the blanket, he saw exactly what Rukia was laughing over and reached out, grabbing the photo album and slapped it shut, hiding the pictures of him as a baby.

"Daaad!"

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Isshin said, grinning widely as he attacked his son for the album. "Give it back to daddy so he can embarrass you by showing your girlfriend pictures of you as a naked baby!"

"No way in hell, old man!" Then, after a pause, he yelled, "She's not my girlfriend!"

Rukia watched in amusement as Ichigo and Isshin rolled around on the ground, Ichigo clasping the album tightly to his chest as his father tried to pry it from his fingers.

Somehow, in the end, Ichigo lost and was now sitting, pouting loudly, on the blanket beside Rukia as Isshin began to show her the pictures again.

"I hate you, Rukia. You betrayed me," Ichigo said.

She just grinned at him and turned back to looking at the album as he pressed the ice-pack harder on his bruised head.

But as she laughed again, he thought that maybe, just maybe, that the sound of her laughter was worth the embarrassment.

Of course, when his dad flipped to the page that loudly proclaimed "Ichigo just found out he's a boy!" his eyes grew wide and he attacked his dad, once again gaining control of the photo album as Rukia, Yuzu and Karin laughed at both of them when they went rolling down the hill and splashed into the water.

Ichigo's happy shouts of "I win!" were soon followed by him running, completely soaked, up the hill again. As he dropped down beside Rukia, the three girls shared a look, then together they kicked Ichigo off of the blanket.

"You're wet!" Yuzu said, frowning. "Go eat under the tree, Ichi-nii."

Ichigo growled in response and sloshed away shivering, his sandwich in one hand and the prized photo album in the other. And, when Isshin produced another album from who-knows-where, he groaned and dropped back against the grass, sighing as the girl's laughter once again filled the air.

**_November 15th, — 5:41 PM_**

"Are we there yet?"

It must have been the tenth time that he had asked it, and Isshin was beginning to get annoyed at his orange-haired son.

"Ichi-nii, you know how much longer it is!" Yuzu chirped. "You've lived at our house all of our life."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed. "But I've never had to _carry_ someone there."

As if she had heard him, Rukia shifted on his back and laid her head on his shoulder, her hands coming up under her head. Her hair was pooling out around her face and tickling his neck with each step he took. At least she wasn't snoring.

"I swear, if she drools on me..."

Ignoring him, Yuzu giggled and began to run ahead when she saw their house coming into view. Isshin, never to be outdone, began to run, too, and Karin ran after him to take back the soccer ball he had stolen from her. Ichigo shook his head as he watched them; anyone else peaking out their windows would forever dub the Kurosaki family completely insane. Of course, they'd already rightfully earned that title, like, fourteen years ago.

Carefully shifting Rukia around on his back, Ichigo poked her gently to wake her up. When she opened her bright violet eyes, Ichigo couldn't help but smile at the sleepy look in them. She stared at him for a second before laying her head back on his shoulder.

"I fell asleep?" she asked quietly. Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah. About half an hour before we left. I didn't have the heart to wake ya. Why were you so tired, anyway?"

Rukia didn't answer for a minute, and Ichigo stopped walking tu turn his head and look at her.

"I don't sleep much at night. I ... I have nightmares."

Ichigo felt himself stiffen. "About _him_?"

He didn't need an answer; the way that Rukia sniffled back tears was answer enough. But he knew she was strong; she would make it through.

"I promise myself I wouldn't cry."

Ichigo leaned down and let her slide off of his back before turning around to face her. There were tears in her eyes. Lifting his hand up, Ichigo placed his palm on her cheek and wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumb. She looked up to meet his gaze, her own gaze filled with surprise.

"It's okay to cry, Rukia. You've gone through so much, and even though you promised yourself that you wouldn't allow your father to make you cry again, you have the right to shed tears."

"I-I don't want to cry, I want to be strong."

Ichigo looked into her eyes and soon closed his own, wrapping his arms gently around her small, shaking body and bringing her close to him.

"I can be strong for you. I can help you, if you'll just let me."

"I don't want to cry. I don't want to ever let my father ... or my brother make me shed a single tear ever again." She pulled back from his embrace, but didn't leave his arms as she looked up. He smiled and leaned down, pressing his lips softly to her cheek as he kissed away her tears.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?" Ichigo asked, his arms dropping from around her small body as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Just for being there for me."

Leaning up on tip-toe, Rukia kissed his cheek before running inside to join Karin and Yuzu, who were standing by the door, no doubt with their eyebrows raised and some evil plan forming in their little heads.

As for our orange-haired friend, he just stood there, a slightly shocked look on his face as he reached up and let his fingers dance over the spot that Rukia had just kissed.

"Woah ... "

He grinned as he walked back inside, ignoring the now-cold wind that was blowing his orange hair all over the place.

* * *

Someone advised that I change the rating of this story to **M **instead of only **T**. I don't think I should, personally, because it is within the **T **rating, but what do you think?

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**_Sneak Preview to Chapter 8!_**

_She didn't realize exactly how close to him that she was until she looked up into his eyes. He smiled nervously, and she could feel his heart beating fast under her palm._

_His head told him to put as much distance between himself and Rukia as he could_ right now_, but his heart told him to just do what he knew he wanted._

_"Rukia... you said you trusted me not to do anything you didn't want. So I guess I'd better ask before I end up doing something stupid. Uh... may I kiss you?"_

◦♥◦ ◦♥◦ ◦♥◦

**_Please Review!_**


	8. Frozen Rain

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

**

* * *

**

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

_**

* * *

**_

**Concrete Angel — VIII**

**_November 19th, — 2:03 PM_**

She wasn't waiting.

She _wasn't_.

Nope.

There was _no way_ she was actually _waiting _for that loud-mouthed idiot to get back from school.

Crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the nearest living object—a small, orange kitten that Yuzu had found and begged to take in—Rukia continued denying the fact that she was bored and couldn't wait for Ichigo to get back.

Sighing, she turned back to the window and looked out. Besides Isshin, who was working in the clinic, she was alone in the house. It'd been a little over a week since the Kurosaki's had taken her in, and only six days since the incident with her father. She was surprised, and a little more than happy, that she was being left alone by her father and brother.

But in only seven days, she had grown rather attached to the weird family that had been putting up with her mood swings, and wished more than anything that she could stay with them forever.

They had all accepted her, too, and none of them seemed to mind when she'd become depressed and hide in her room. What surprised her most of all, however, was how she was treated by Ichigo. Although he was loud and rude, whenever she would ask to be alone, he would leave for a few minutes then come back and talk to her, without waiting for or expecting a response. He knew it and she knew it; it made her feel better, and it took her mind off of the terrible things her father had done to her.

So, that was why she was waiting. In the small clinic room she was sleeping in, she had grown bored and in attempt to ward off any thoughts that would cause all of her pain to flood back, she had gone in search of something to do. However, Strawberry the Kitten was the only person that was left to entertain her.

"I'm home!"

For some reason, as Ichigo opened the door and dropped his backpack on the floor with a clunk, Rukia smiled and hopped up from her seat by the window.

He caught her gaze and smiled lopsidedly, reaching into his bag and pulling out a thick stack of papers.

"Oooh, Rukia! Homework!"

He dropped it into her hands and she settled for glaring at him.

"Thanks a lot."

"Oh, you're welcome."

The smile on his face gave away the fact that he knew perfectly well that at the moment, she hated him with everything she was.

"Hey, Rukia, when are ya gonna come back to school?" Ichigo asked, dropping onto the couch and picking the little kitten onto his lap. She purred loudly and began to rub against his chin, her little tail flicking in his face.

"I ... I don't think I'm ready..." Rukia said slowly, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch, her hands folded in her lap and her gaze on the floor. Ichigo shrugged.

"No worries, then. Wait until you're ready."

She nodded and fingered the homework that she needed to finish.

As she was about to start on what she knew was going to take weeks, Ichigo stood up and stretched, saying,

"C'mon, forget the homework for now. Let's go to the park. The lake is frozen over, and it's perfect for skating."

The weather had taken a drastic turn from warm to cold, and only the night before, a terrible freeze had swept through the small town. The ground was covered in seven, thick inches of snow and every pail of water and every pond and lake had frozen solid.

Grinning, Rukia dropped her homework on the couch and stood to her feet as Ichigo walked over to the closet to begin digging through the piles and piles of shoes and skates that threatened to avalanche on top of him. She watched in amusement as the orange-haired teen grinned, pulling out a pair of ice skates.

"These are Yuzu's; I'm sure she won't mind if ya use them."

He passed her the bright pink pair of ice skates and pulled out his own black ones. In less than three minutes, Ichigo had informed Isshin where they were going and Rukia had been bundled up tightly by Ichigo in some of Yuzu and Karin's spare winter clothing. Rukia bounded outside, a wide smile on her face.

As she stared into the fresh-falling snow, every thought that had been weighing on her mind that day evaporated. Her father, her brother, her pain... everything but the snow, and _right now_ vanished from her mind.

Ichigo smiled. Not a smug look, but instead a real smile.

"Do you like the snow?" he asked. Rukia nodded, her violet eyes shining. Her cheeks were tinted a light pink from the cold as she stuck out her tongue. Ichigo laughed.

"C'mon, stupid. Tongue in, feet moving."

She stuck said tongue out at him before racing ahead in the street. Ichigo hung a little behind on purpose, just watching as she paused every now and then to pick up a handful of snow and eat it. He reminded her several times, and got several dirty looks from saying so, to stay away from the yellow snow.

She seemed so carefree right then, that he wished time could stop just for her. For the past two days, she had been slipping in and out of depression, it seemed, because for hours and hours at a time, she would refuse to even look at anyone as she stared blankly into the corner. He hadn't seen her shed a tear, however, since the night they had come home from the picnic and she had cried in his arms.

Remembering that night, Ichigo reached up and let his fingers touch the place on his cheek that she had kissed. Neither had mentioned it again, and it seemed to be a forgotten memory.

"Ichigo, hurry up! We're almost there!"

He looked ahead and saw the park coming into view. Shaking his head as if to rid himself of the memories that he had been thinking on a lot lately, he quickened his pace.

"Whatever, baka."

She reached back and gave him a firm kick in the leg right before she ran ahead.

When he had finally caught up to her, she had already pulled off her shoes and was pulling on her skates. There were several other people at the large lake already skating, and when Rukia had finished putting on her skates, she waiting impatiently, lips pressed tightly together and her hands on her hips, for Ichigo to finish putting his own on.

"Finally. You are the _master_ of slow," Rukia proclaimed as she began to walk out onto the ice. Ichigo followed, and smiled as Rukia immediately dropped butt first onto the ice. He offered his hand and she took it.

"Have you ever been ice skating before?"

"Once."

"Ouch. You must suck."

The comment earned him a firm glare, for it was all Rukia could manage; if she tried to kick him, she would surely end up more hurt than him, as she would fall onto the ice again.

"I went once when I was six," Rukia continued, trying to walk forward on the ice as she unconsciously gripped tighter to Ichigo's hand. "At one of my friend's birthday parties. My father... um, he didn't know I'd gone. He was too drunk to know anything, and when I fell on the ice and Kaori's mother saw the bruises on my back... "

She trailed off, and stopped moving on the ice. Ichigo mentally slapped himself as he turned to face Rukia.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me anything ya don't want to, you know."

She nodded and forced a small smile.

"I know." She attempted a smile as she changed the subject. "Anyway... can you teach me to skate? I never really learned... "

Ichigo nodded and soon, she had begun to shakily move across the ice. She was gripping his arm so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Her violet eyes were bright and wide as she slid across the ice, and even Ichigo was having fun.

She fell several times, and always brought him down with her. Everyone else on the lake had pretty much moved to the side and had given them a large area for Rukia to fall down in; everyone knew that when someone was learning to skate, you moved out of their way.

"Ichigo, I hate these skates! They give you about an eleventh of an inch to _balance_ on."

"You've used them before," Ichigo pointed out weakly, not having much else in the way of a comeback.

"They seemed bigger then, because I was smaller-"

She cut off and her eyes went wide when she slipped on the ice and fell flat on her butt, her legs straight out in front of her. Black hair flew into the air for a split second, and Ichigo began laughing non-stop at the completely surprised look on her face.

She glared at him, and in one swift motion, she swept her feet around and caught him off guard. His own amber eyes went wide as he fell onto the ice, and as he began to get back up, bent on revenge, Rukia squeaked loudly and struggled to her feet, trying to get as far away from him as she could.

In the end, they somehow ended up on the snowy banks, Ichigo tickling Rukia and her laughing happily. When Ichigo finally fell beside her in the snow, he smiled as she tried in vain to catch her breath. He took a few seconds to take off his skates and put his shoes back on; even if they got back on the ice, he'd be showing Rukia how to skate, and that would be easier to do in his normal boots.

He dropped back into the snow beside Rukia just as she decided to climb up onto his lap. He glared at her and she explained,

"The snow is _freezing_, dofus."

She laid her head on his chest and Ichigo blamed the soft pink that scattered across his cheeks on the cold. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, letting her body move as Ichigo's chest rose and fell with each breath he took.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" Ichigo asked softly, staring into the sky as snow, once again, began to fall in a light dust around them.

"Why should I be?"

"I dunno. Just... I was afraid that you'd be scared of me because... "

"Because of what my father did to me?"

"Well... yeah."

"I was, at first. But then I realized that it wasn't you who had done all those terrible things to me. You and your family had given me love and hope, and why should I be scared of that? But... to be honest, I am afraid when someone touches me."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her, for she was currently nearly laying on top of him in order to escape the freezing snow.

"Not you, dofus," she said, seeing the look in his eyes. "For some reason, I always trusted you not to do anything to me that I didn't want. You held my hand, you held me in your arms, and I wasn't afraid like I've been since that day. I was afraid of all the boys at school, and I was afraid of your dad to begin with. But since the beginning, I just knew I could trust you."

She didn't realize exactly how close they were until she looked up into his eyes. He smiled nervously, and she could feel his heart beating fast under her palm.

His head told him to put as much distance between himself and Rukia as he could _right now_, but his heart told him to just do what he knew he wanted.

"Rukia... you said you trusted me not to do anything you didn't want. So I guess I'd better ask before I end up doing something stupid. Uh... may I kiss you?"

She answered by gently pressing her lips to his, and he felt himself smiling as he slowly reached up, placing his hand on the back of her head. She pulled back and smiled at him, once again laying her head on his chest.

But when her eyes traced their surroundings, she gasped loudly, and as soon as Ichigo had seen what she saw, he stood quickly to his feet, gently pushing Rukia behind him.

"What the hell do you want, Byakuya?" he growled loudly, staring into the face of Rukia's older brother. He'd seen him only once in the years since they had been childhood friends, but he knew that he'd never forget the face of the person that had caused Rukia so much pain.

"I've come for my sister."

His voice was calm, and Rukia peaked out from behind Ichigo, only to stare into the emotionless eyes of the man who had never stood up for her.

"She's not going anywhere with you," Ichigo said firmly, glad that they were in a semi-public place. But as he looked around, he realized that almost no one was still at the park, due to the snow that was now falling again.

Byakuya had shown himself at the perfect time. Ichigo turned to Rukia, without taking his eyes off of Byakuya.

"Rukia, go back home. I'll deal with this."

"But Ichigo-"

"Just go," he prodded gently. "I'll be back soon. Tell my dad and sisters not to worry, all right?"

She looked into his eyes and he broke his gaze with Byakuya long enough to let her know he was serious. She finally nodded before whispering, "Please don't hurt yourself," and and ran off, tripping in the snow several times, for she had never ran in skates.

"I'm not here for you, Kurosaki, I'm here for my sister," Byakuya said, making a move to follow Rukia. He was cut off as Ichigo's fist connected with his face. Hard.

Holding a now-bloody nose, Byakuya looked into the face of Kurosaki Ichigo. He looked pissed, and both his hands were clenched into tight fists. His amber eyes were shining with anger as he stared at Byakuya, and as he spoke, there was no doubt in the older Kuchiki's mind that he was serious.

"If you _ever_ get near Rukia again, I'll kill you."

* * *

Soo ... fast update, no? Anyway, hope you enjoyed this! I'm getting Internet back soon! For now, though, I have to write in the hour each day that the little ones I baby-sit are sleeping.

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**_Sneak Preview of Chapter 9_**

_Rukia wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she stared at Ichigo. She was sitting on the bed in the Kurosaki guest room, where she had been sleeping for the last few nights. _

_Violet eyes soon wandered to the pregnancy test in Ichigo's hands. He held it out to her, and whispered that he'd leave her alone and give her some privacy. Her hand shook as she took the test out of the box and stared at it. She knew that the chances of it being positive were very slim, but she needed to know._

_After taking the test, all she had to do was wait. But the next five minutes seemed like the slowest in her life._

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**_Please Review!_**


	9. Bliss Ignorance

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

**

* * *

**

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

_**

* * *

**_

**Concrete Angel — IX**

**_November 19th, — 11:23 PM_**

"If you _ever_ get near Rukia again, I'll kill you," Ichigo growled, glaring at the man in front of him; Byakuya only stared back. Neither made a move until the older man turned and began to walk off.

"You are not worth my time. I came for my sister, and since she is gone so I have no business here. You will live another day."

Ichigo could feel the anger bubbling inside of him as he reached out to hit Byakuya again. His punch was stopped, however, when Byakuya grabbed his wrist. Anger faded away into pain as Ichigo's arm was twisted violently to the right and he held back scream as he felt it breaking. As soon as his arm was free from Byakuya's grasp, Ichigo jumped back several steps.

"I have no business with you, and if you are wise, you will leave well enough alone."

Ichigo knew he wanted to fight. He knew that he wanted to hurt Byakuya, that he wanted to see him in pain because of what he had done to Rukia, but he knew that, as it stood now, he didn't have a chance against the other man. He _would _lose, and then he wouldn't be any help to Rukia... he wouldn't be able to protect her.

"What the hell do you want with her? Haven't you done enough?!" Ichigo yelled, not quite ready to give up. "Did you ever really care about her? She's your _sister_ for God's sake! How could you do those things to her?"

Byakuya only stared at him in return, then he said, "Because that was what I was taught ever since I was a boy."

"That's no excuse! You don't hurt your little sister!" Ichigo yelled, his face clearly showing both his pain and his anger. "That's why the older brother is born first, so he can _protect_ his younger siblings. You don't hurt them, you protect them and take the beatings _for_ them!"

"Maybe you do, Kurosaki. But that is not how I have lived my life."

He began to walk off and Ichigo would have ran after him if it weren't for the stabbing pain in his wrist; he knew he couldn't do anything with his arm hurting as badly as it was. He looked down and winced at the dark blue and purple bruises that wrapped around his wrist. It was already beginning to swell, and if it wasn't broken, it was badly sprained.

He needed to get home.

Throwing one more glare in Byakuya's direction, he began to walk back; he needed to reassure himself that Rukia was safe at his house, and the last week hadn't just been a dream.

His footsteps slowly created a path through the still-falling snow, and before he knew it, Ichigo was staring at his home. The lights had been flipped on as darkness had begun to fall, and Yuzu and Karin were now home; he could see their shadows in their window.

But what made him smile was the figure of Rukia sitting beside the window. She was staring into the snow, her violet eyes emotionless, not unlike he'd seen then before. She was curled up on the window seat, holding a small coffee mug in her hands, but, as she didn't drink coffee, Ichigo knew it was probably tea.

The pain in his arm brought him back to reality and he walked the rest of the way up to the house. As soon as the door opened, Rukia jumped up from her place by the window and ran over, her violet eyes inspecting his tall body as if she was worried he was dying.

"Ichigo..."

He paused before he reached out to place his fingers on her cheek. She didn't disappear as he touched her, so he allowed himself a small smile.

"Are you all right?" Rukia asked, her voice low.

Ichigo nodded. "I'm fine."

Silence fell between them, and Ichigo's smile grew when he saw his sisters leaning around the doorway into the hall. What surprised him more was that his father was there, too, listening to everything that Ichigo and Rukia said.

Ichigo laughed.

"You guys can come out now, ya know."

Yuzu ran up to Ichigo and threw her arms around him. He was surprised when Karin did the same.

"Woah, c'mon, it's not like I was gone for _that_ long... "

Yuzu pulled back and forced a brave smile. "I know, but Rukia-chan wasn't saying much, and she was crying, and... "

Ichigo didn't hear much more as he turned his gaze to Rukia. She'd been crying? Why? It wasn't like she was ever in danger from Byakuya; she'd known from the second that Ichigo had stepped in front of her, placing himself between her and her older brother, than he wouldn't let her get hurt.

As Ichigo stared into Rukia's eyes, he suddenly knew why she'd been crying; for him. He gave her a small smile and then turned back to his sisters. The smile, however, dropped off of his face when Yuzu accidentally bumped into his arm. He hissed in pain and Isshin was over in seconds.

"It's nothing, I just kinda... "

"It looks like it's broken, Ichigo," Isshin said sternly. Ichigo sighed deeply. He was afraid of this. He'd broken his arm once when he was about five, and it had been in a cast for a month; while he didn't have to do school because he'd broken his right arm, he couldn't do barely anything else.

"Just put it in an ACE bandage-"

"Plaster cast," Isshin said firmly.

"Dad," Ichigo began to protest. "It's my right arm again. I have school right now, and I can't afford to drop out for a month like I did in kindergarten. ACE."

"Plaster."

"ACE."

"Plaster."

"Dad!"

"Ichigo."

Ichigo began to pout and even Rukia smiled as Isshin hauled Ichigo into the clinic by the back of his shirt. She laughed a little and the beautiful sparkle had returned to her eyes once again.

**_November 19th, — 3:13 PM_**

When Ichigo got out of the clinic—he'd won and now had an ACE bandage on his arm—he smiled softly upon seeing both of his sisters curled onto the couch, asleep. When he got closer, he realized that Rukia was squished in with them and he began to laugh. Isshin came out of the clinic, a curious look on his face.

Ichigo said, "I know they're all midgets, but how did they manage that?"

Isshin shook his head and began walking into the kitchen where he attacked the cupboards for an early dinner. Ichigo sat down on the window seat where Rukia had been sitting earlier and sighed as he looked at his arm. The swelling had gone down a little, but it still looked pretty bad.

He hadn't broken the bone, but it had cracked.

"And if you do anything that might make the crack expand, I swear," Isshin had promised Ichigo, "I will wrap your _whole body_ in a plaster cast."

Ichigo didn't want to make the crack expand, needless to say.

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo looked over quickly to the couch where Rukia was now sitting up, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Huh?"

"You sure you're all right?"

He smirked.

"I'm _fine_, dope."

"Whatever."

She fell back onto the couch and closed her eyes again. After a few seconds, Ichigo said, "You're not sleeping, huh?"

"Nope."

Silence fell over them again, and Ichigo rather liked it. He was here, with his family and Rukia, and he knew that they were all safe.

No one spoke until Isshin walked into the living room, a sandwich in hand, but a serious look on his face. Ichigo looked up at his father, and Rukia did, too. He stared at them in turn, then, swallowing a bit of the sandwich, said softly,

"Rukia, this will be up to you, understand? Don't feel pressured when I ask you this."

Rukia nodded slowly. Isshin continued, and Ichigo felt himself become worried and anxious.

"It's been eight days now, since what happened. Most home tests can't tell this early, but I can preform a blood test that may or may not be accurate. A home test could probably give you accurate results, but I'd have to ask some questions first."

Athough he didn't actually say the word "pregnancy" both Ichigo and Rukia knew what he was talking about.

Rukia nodded. "I'd like to see if I could try the home test."

Isshin nodded and Rukia climbed to her feet, following him back into the clinic. Ichigo followed, too, but stayed outside while Isshin sat Rukia on one of the clinic beds. He sat down beside her and said,

"Some of the questions might be a little personal, but I need you to answer them anyway, all right?"

Rukia nodded again, biting her lower lip.

"Have you ever been tested to see when you ovulate?"

"When I was at the doctor, he did something like that."

"Good. And is your period pretty normal?" At a nod from the young girl, Isshin continued. "When do you usually start your period?"

"Um ... the eighteenth of each month. The doctor said that I start to ovulate about ten days before my period."

It was the nineteenth. Isshin took in a deep breath. If what Rukia said was true, then it couldn't have happened at a worse time. The chances were still pretty slim, but still...

"So you're a day late?"

"Mm hmm."

Isshin nodded and sighed deeply as he looked into Rukia's eyes. She seemed scared. He tried to force a smile as he said, "I think we can try the home test, but you _have_ to understand that if it says negative, it might not be true because, while most fetuses implant themselves in a woman's womb within the first six to eight days, it can take longer, and therefore take longer to tell if a woman is pregnant or not. We'll try another test in about a week, but I just thought you might like to know. If you still have doubts after you take the test, I can run a blood test."

"Thank you."

Isshin smiled and reached into one of the drawers beside a large desk that sat in the middle of the room. He pulled out a small, pink box and handed it to Rukia. On the front of the box was a smiling woman holding a tiny baby in her arms. They baby was smiling, too, and it said in big, bold letters, '_Home Pregnancy Test'_.

She gripped it tightly, and Isshin said,

"You can take it whenever you want. Don't feel pressured, all right?"

Rukia nodded and stood up, the test still in her hands. Isshin led her out and she smiled at him. A real smile; the first one he'd seen since he had begun to speak about the pregnancy test.

**_November 21st, 5:19 PM_**

Rukia had hidden the test under her pillow in the guest room and hadn't even looked at it again since it had been given to her. She wanted to know, _needed_ to know, but not yet.

Now, two days after she had gotten the test from Isshin, Ichigo was sitting on the floor of the guest room, flicking a piece of flint back and forth as she read a book on the bed. They hadn't spoken since he had come in unannounced and dropped onto the floor.

"Ichigo?"

"Hmm?"

"I need to know."

It took him a second to realize what she meant, but when it finally dawned on him, he nodded and stood up. Her hands were shaking so badly that the test, which she had grabbed from under her pillow only seconds before, fell out of her hands. Ichigo reached down to pick it up before he sat beside her on the bed. He smiled and said,

"Hey, no matter what the results, we'll all be here for you, ya know."

"I know."

"And this wasn't your fault. Just take the test, and we'll go from there."

Rukia wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she stared at Ichigo. She was sitting on the bed in the Kurosaki guest room, where she had been sleeping for the last few nights.

Violet eyes soon wandered to the pregnancy test in Ichigo's hands. He held it out to her, and whispered that he'd leave her alone and give her some privacy. Her hands shook as she took the test out of the box and stared at it. She knew that the chances of it being positive were very slim, but she needed to know.

After taking the test, all she had to do was wait. But the next five minutes seemed like the slowest in her life.

When a small beep sounded from the test, Rukia bit her lip so hard that she drew blood. The test was sitting on her beside table, and as she reached out to pick it up, she felt tears falling down her cheeks. She'd promised that she wouldn't let her brother or father make her cry again, but it seemed as if this was an exception.

With shaking hands, she turned it over.

_Negative_.

Relief flooded throughout her small body but she knew, as Isshin had said, that the test might end up being wrong, and she needed to take another one in a week or so. But for now, she just wanted to ignore it.

_Negative_.

When Ichigo knocked on the door a few minutes later, she was still staring at the negative sign on the pregnancy test.

Ichigo poked his head inside the room. "Rukia?"

She smiled, and he smiled, too.

"You hungry?"

Neither spoke about the test, but Rukia's heart felt a million times lighter as she and Ichigo walked into the kitchen. He was holding her hand, and she smiled, gripping Ichigo's fingers tighter. Neither had mentioned what had happened at the lake, but they both remembered.

Ichigo let his hand drop to his side when they reached the kitchen. Yuzu was laughing as she finished making dinner, and when Ichigo stole a carrot from her, Yuzu whacked him with her spoon.

Rukia felt laughter bubble up inside of her.

She would need to know _for sure_ soon, but for now...

... Ignorance was bliss.

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**_Sneak Preview of Chapter 10_**

_Rukia pouted as a large, paper crown was placed on her head. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, not sure if she liked doing art with Yuzu and Karin. Well, Karin was fine. _She_ didn't use Kuchiki Rukia as a test subject._

_As of that second, Rukia was wearing a pink paper crown, had lipstick flowers painted on her cheeks, and black make-up. God knows where Yuzu had gotten it from, but..._

_Just then, Ichigo walked into the room._

_"One word, Ichigo, just _one_, and I'll _kill_ you."_

_Ichigo laughed._

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**Author's Notes:** Well, here it is! Sorry it took me so long to update, but you're going to have to expect this from now on. I'm finishing up my last year of school, and things are a little crazy right now. I'm not sure if I'm going to go to college, because my boyfriend, Daniel, asked me to marry him a while back, and we're going to get married in a few months. We might want to start a family in a year or two, and I don't want to go to college because I'm gonna stay home with my kids if I do have a family. So... yeah. Little confused about everything now.

**Anyway**, what did you think of the chapter?

**_Please Review!_**


	10. Going Home?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

**

* * *

**

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

**Concrete Angel — X**

**_June 26th, 1994, 8:13 PM_**

_"Mommy, how much do you love me?" little, three-year-old Rukia asked, her violet eyes bright and wide. She stretched her arms out as far as she could manage and said, "Do you love me this much?"_

_Her mom shook her head and Rukia looked a little sad until her mother, Rei, kissed her on the cheek and said,_

_"I love you more than the sun and the stars, Rukia."_

_"Oh. Well, I love you that much, too, mommy!"_

_She grinned and laid back on her bed._

_"Do you love Nee-san?"_

_"Yes."_

_"And Nii-sama?"_

_Rei laughed softly as she brushed little Rukia's hair back. "Yes, I do, Rukia. I love you all."_

_"Oh."_

_As Rukia sat there, grinning happily, her eyes twinkling, Rei found herself overwhelmed with love for her little girl. Even if Rukia had been her last child, because of complications during birth, she couldn't have asked for _anything_ more. She was willing to give up anything... anything, for her baby girl._

_"Now go to sleep, Rukia."_

_"OK! Night, mommy! I love you, mommy."_

_"I love you, too."_

_Rei kissed Rukia on the forehead and walked out of the room, smiling when she heard Rukia climb out of her bed. In seconds, the little girl was latched onto her legs, grinning up at Rei._

_"I love you more, Mommy!"_

_Then, without another word, she raced back to bed and jumped under the covers, giggling quietly._

_When Rei reached her bedroom that night, however, she was met with her husband, Kai, and he didn't look happy._

_Seconds later, Rukia's quiet whimpers changed to sobs as her mother's cries echoed throughout the house._

**_November 23rd, 4:42 AM_**

Rukia bolted up in bed, her eyes wide. She was breathing hard, and she didn't realize she'd screamed in her sleep until Ichigo appeared at the doorway, looking sleepy and worried.

"Rukia, you OK?"

He walked over and sat down beside her on the bed. She tried to hold back her tears as she nodded and hugged her quilt more tightly to herself. Ichigo reached over and his fingers brushed away the tears she didn't realize had escaped. He smiled softly and sleepily and said,

"Wanna talk about it?"

Rukia shook her head, but soon, the shaky words were spilling out of her, anyway.

"M-my mom, she ... I was r-really little, and she had j-just finished saying goodnight to her, and s-s-she told me she loved me. My d-dad..."

Ichigo reached out and took Rukia into his arms as she broke down crying. He didn't know quite what to do, so he just held her and whispered quietly in her ear. When she'd finally calmed down a little, she pulled back and wiped away her remaining tears.

"T-thanks, Ichigo."

He smirked.

"Don't thank me. I want to be here for you when you need someone, all right?"

She nodded and laid her head on his chest again, taking in a deep breath before closing her eyes.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep again?" she asked quietly. He smiled.

"I'll stay with you forever."

**_November 23rd, 5:12 PM_**

"Rukia-chaaan! Will you play with us?"

Half of the members of _us_ didn't look like they were playing by choice. Rukia laughed at the pouting look on Karin's face as she was forced to do some random art project with Yuzu. The little girl's dark hair was flat against her head because of the paper crown she was wearing, and Rukia's laughter grew when she saw the teddy bears wearing lipstick and blush.

"Sure, Yuzu-chan, I'll play."

"Yay!"

"And Yuzu?"

"Huh?" The little girl stopped drawing on her bear for a second to look over at Rukia, who was getting comfortable on the floor.

"Please, just call me 'Rukia'."

"O-oh. Well, then call me Yuzu!"

The older girl smiled and nodded and soon, the art project had begun and Rukia pouted as a large, paper crown was placed on her head. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, not sure if she liked doing art with Yuzu and Karin. Well, Karin was fine. She didn't use Kuchiki Rukia as a test subject.

As of that second, Rukia was wearing a pink paper crown, had lipstick flowers painted on her cheeks, and black make-up. God knows where Yuzu had gotten it from, but...

Just then, Ichigo walked into the room.

"One word, Ichigo, just _one_, and I'll _kill_ you."

Ichigo laughed.

Rukia pouted some more as Yuzu began to draw green swirls on her cheeks. Ichigo sat and watched, and soon enough, he was being drawn on, too. He grinned happily and helped Yuzu draw on Rukia, and even Karin joined in.

When Isshin came to find out what was making everyone so _silent_, he was surprised to see all three of his children crouched around Rukia, lipstick, paint or some other art supplies clasped in their hands as they drew insane designs all over Rukia's face.

He burst out laughing and Rukia turned around so quickly that the lipstick flew out of Ichigo's hand and landed on his face instead.

In less than a minute, everyone was in a puddle of laughter, and before they knew it, they were all called in the kitchen to have dinner; even Karin was disappointed at having to stop.

Isshin turned around and laughed again as they all walked into the kitchen.

"You all have to clean up before you can even _sit_ in my kitchen."

Yuzu and Karin ran upstairs to the bathroom, and Ichigo and Rukia to the one downstairs. Ichigo quickly washed himself up, then took the washrag from Rukia's hands.

"What? Gimmie that back," she said, reaching for it.

"You're just spreading it. C'mon, let me help ya."

Rukia sat down and let Ichigo poke at the lipstick and paint all over her face. He smiled as he washed a slef-inflicted bunny off of her cheek.

"So... want to tell me what happened last night?"

Rukia flinched and stiffened up, but she soon relaxed a little. She said slowly, "I've been having nightmares lately. They always start out with my mom and me, sitting down and talking. She was saying something about how much she loved me, and I was smiling."

She found it much easier to talk about her dreams knowing that Ichigo was there to hold her if she broke down and began crying again.

She continued,

"Then she left, and I ran after her to hug her once more and tell her I loved her. I didn't know it until I was older, but I was the reason my mom couldn't give my father another son. There were complications during my birth and mom couldn't have more babies after that. My father wanted another son more than anything, because he only had one, and he blamed me and my mom, but mostly me."

Ichigo's lips were set in a straight line as he tried not to let his anger boil up again.

"My dad was drunk that night, and he was mad at me... he wanted to kill me, but my m-mom wouldn't l-let him out of their bedroom b-because she knew what he was going t-to do."

She was trying her best not to cry. Even though she'd promised not to ever let her father or brother make her cry again, this was something she could cry about—this was her _mother_.

"He k-killed her, Ichigo. Oh, God, he killed mommy..."

Ichigo held her as her small body shook, and he knew that, more than anything, he wanted to put Kuchiki Kai behind bars, forever. They had the evidence, but Isshin hadn't turned it over to the police yet, because he knew that, when he did, Kai would get a trial, and Rukia would have to testify. She wasn't strong enough yet for that, they had to wait... just a little longer.

Ichigo closed his eyes as he held Rukia.

**_November 24th, 8:15 AM_**

It was early morning, and Ichigo was getting ready for school. He yawned deeply and took another large gulp of his coffee.

He'd been up late with Rukia, because she was afraid to go to sleep. He'd stayed awake until she'd finally passed out in his arms, and even then, he hadn't slept throughout the night. He kept waking up to Rukia's whimpers from the bed beside him, as he'd told her he'd stay with her.

"Sleepy?"

Ichigo looked up to see Rukia standing beside him. What surprised him even more was that she was wearing her school uniform, and was carrying her school books.

"Rukia..."

She smiled and sat down beside him before stealing his cup of coffee.

"How far behind am I?"

"Pretty far," he replied slowly, realizing that she didn't want to talk about it much. "But you'll be OK. We have most of our classes together, and you can borrow my notes."

"You, the great Kurosaki Ichigo, take notes?" Rukia asked, raising an eyebrow.

He stuck his tongue out at her and muttered that they needed to go or they'd be late for class. They were pretty early, in fact, and Rukia had plenty of time to settle into her desk and find her pencils and school books before everyone began to shuffle into the room.

"Ooh, Kuchiki-saaaan! You're baaaack!"

Before Keigo could reach Rukia, however, Ichigo reached out and punched him in the face. The hyper teen sunk to the ground, rivers of tears flowing down his face as he whimpered about his best friend betraying him.

Ichigo just sat down behind Rukia and stuck his head in his hands until the teacher came in the room.

"Welcome back to another week of school," she said, smiling. "Oh! And welcome back, Kuchiki-san! We've all been pretty worried about you! Are you feeling better from your recent illness?"

Rukia looked at Ichigo for help and he nodded; it was the cover-up story, as he hadn't wanted to tell the whole school the real story of why Rukia had been gone for weeks.

Soon, school was in full-swing and Ichigo and Rukia were bouncing from class to class. Without having much time in between learning about the stars and the bodies of Amoeba, Rukia was doing fairly well, and it wasn't until fifth period that Ichigo noticed a change in her behavior. She was gripping a small, white piece of paper in her hand, and she looked scared.

He freaked out and took her out of class, pulling her into the hall.

"What's wrong, Rukia?"

"N-nothing," she said, her hands shaking; the white piece of paper was gone. "I just... I was thinking about my dad again."

Ichigo knew it was a lie, but he didn't want to press her further.

"Rukia..."

"I... can I go back home?"

"Home?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I m-mean to your house," she stuttered, her violet eyes wide.

Ichigo wasn't sure he should let her go alone. She looked so scared.

"I'll call my dad and have him pick you up. I'll wait with you until he's here, all right?"

"No, I want to go now," she said, wrapping her arms around herself. She was shaking, and everything inside of Ichigo was screaming at him not to let her go alone, so he put his backpack over his shoulder.

"I'm coming with you."

When they got home, Rukia went up to her room while Ichigo told his dad what had happened. He then began to help Yuzu with dinner, and when everyone was called down to eat, Rukia didn't show.

Fear grew in Ichigo's heart as he raced up to her room. He knocked on the door hard, and when she didn't answer, he kicked it open.

She was gone, and her window was open.

"Rukia!"

Isshin, Yuzu and Karin had gathered at the doorway, and Ichigo turned around, his hands shaking. In them, he held the small, white piece of paper what Rukia had been holding earlier.

"Dad, how do I get to where Kai lives?"

Isshin's eyes went wide. "Ichigo—"

"Dammit dad! She went back! I need to go find her, so tell me _now_!"

Isshin quickly rattled off the address, and before he knew it, Ichigo was running down the stairs and out of the house, not even bothering to put on his shoes before he ran out into the snow. His coat and hat were forgotten, too, but he didn't notice as the cold nipped at his feet and arms.

The words that were clearly written in the paper flashed through his mind again and again.

_"Rukia, come back to daddy, or I'll kill him. I'll kill that little friend of yours—I'll kill Kurosaki Ichigo."_

She had gone back for him. To save _him_.

And he had to find her, or he knew that Kuchiki Kai would kill her, too, just like he'd killed his first daughter and his wife.

* * *

_(Cringes) _Ouch. I'm gonna get, like, super flames for ending it that way. Anyway, SORRY for the long wait! I was busy. What did you think of this chapter?

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**_Sneak Preview of Chapter 11!_**

_Ichigo's eyes went wide when he saw Rukia. _

_She was laying on the floor, surrounded by a small pool of blood. Kuchiki Kai was standing over her, a knife in his hand. Ichigo felt fear boil up inside of him as he watched Rukia, unmoving, on the floor. Her face was so pale, and her white dress was covered in her blood._

_"R-Rukia..."_

_Kai turned around to see Ichigo standing behind him and laughed. "She's gone. Dead. She's never coming back, and you're next."_

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**Note: **More flashbacks in the next chapter, with more Hisana and Rei(Rukia's sister and mom)! Also, I just started my first Inuyasha Multi-chapter, and if you want, **please** check it out!

_**Please Review! **And don't kill me! Kill Kai!_


	11. Forever

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

**NOTE: **Keep in mind the flashback as you read this **whole** chapter!!

**

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**

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

**Concrete Angel — XI**

**_June 29th, 1994, 2:15 PM_**

_Four-year-old Rukia tried as hard as she could not to cry, but her tiny body shook with sobs as she stared at the beautiful, hand-carved casket that was in front of her. She was trying to pull her small hand out of her father's grasp but he only held on tighter._

_He wasn't even crying._

_When they walked off, she began to scream as she broke free of Kuchiki Kai's grasp and ran back to the grave._

_"Mommy! Don't leave me, mommy!" Her violet eyes clenched tightly shut as she fell to the ground in front of her mother's grave. The freshly dug dirt spread on her beautiful, black dress as she cried. "Mommy, don't leave me alone, don't leave me! Don't leave me... don't leave me... don't leave me..."_

_Kai walked over and grabbed Rukia's arm roughly. He hauled her to her feet and pulled her along as Rukia screamed, trying to reach back. Her sister, Hisana, stood beside their father, and Byakuya walked ahead. As Rukia broke free of her father's grasp once again, she fell to the ground, not having the strength left to run anymore._

_"Rukia..."_

_Hisana sat down beside Rukia and pulled her little sister into her arms._

_"Shh, Rukia. It'll be OK. Mommy is watching us from heaven."_

_"It's not fair!" Rukia cried loudly. Then, her voice lowered. "Mommy got to go away. She left us behind. Why didn't mommy take us with her? I want to die, too."_

_"No, you don't mean that, Rukia," Hisana said, her own tears beginning to come. "Because I need you. I need you beside me, to hold me when _I _cry. We need each other."_

_"I want mommy!" Rukai cried. Her throat was beginning to become sore from screaming. "I want to die, too, because no one will ever love me like mommy. I just want someone to love me."_

_And Rukia just continued to cry. _

**_November 24th, 5:32 PM_**

Ichigo ran as fast as he could. The cold wind blew hard against him, and as his bare feet pounded on the freezing snow, he felt himself slowing down. But he couldn't; he needed to speed up, and he needed to find Rukia.

Reality was finally settling in as the shock began to pass, and Ichigo felt his heart clench as his thoughts strayed to what Kai had done to Rukia.

Oh, God, she'd gone back.

_She'd gone back_.

The thought only made him run faster, and when he rounded another corner, he heard a scream.

His heart skipped a beat as Rukia's soft cry pierced the air.

He stopped suddenly and listened for a second before cursing loudly and running to Kuchiki Kai's house, which was only a couple hundred yards away. He couldn't hear Rukia anymore, and that alone was enough to cause fear to rise up within him.

He needed to help her... he needed to save her... he needed to do something, _anything_, to get her away from Kai... _he loved her._

His feet hit the doorstep to the small house that the Kuchiki's lived in as the last though ran through his head. A feeling that was completely new to him ran through his body, and he suddenly felt as if he could do anything for Rukia.

_He loved her._

"Rukia!" His voice carried throughout the house.

_He loved her_.

He didn't realize that he had kicked open the door and had run inside until he stopped in the middle of what he supposed was the living room. The pure white couches contrasted deeply with the blood red curtains, and the man that stood staring at Ichigo didn't belong among the pure and clean feelings that the white decorations seemed to create.

"Why, hello. I'm afraid you're too late."

The cold, deep voice floated through the room and Ichigo's eyes went wide when he saw Rukia.

She was laying on the floor, surrounded by a small pool of blood. Kuchiki Kai was standing over her, a knife in his hand. Ichigo felt fear boil up inside of him as he watched Rukia, unmoving, on the floor. Her face was so pale, and her white dress was covered in blood.

"R-Rukia..."

Kai turned around to see Ichigo standing behind him and laughed. "She's gone. Dead. She's never coming back, and you're next."

_He loved her.._.

"Rukia!"

Ignoring Kai, Ichigo dropped down on his knees beside Rukia and felt the anger inside of him fall away to fear and despair.

He reached out and gently touched her pale face. Her skin was so soft and still warm under his touch. Her violet eyes were closed and her black hair was pooling out on the floor. With her beautiful white dress hugging her body softly, she was perfect picture of an angel.

Ichigo's heart swelled with hope as he saw her chest move up and down. She was breathing...

"Rukia... ?"

Her violet eyes had just begun to open slowly when Ichigo felt himself being thrown across the room. When he'd forced his own eyes open, he saw Kai, an insane grin on his face, running across the room. Ichigo rolled out of the way just in time to miss the knife that plunged deeply into the wall.

As he caught his breath for a few precious seconds, it registered in his mind that he could have just died.

But as he looked over at Rukia, who now had tears of pain slipping down her face as she weakly pressed a hand over her bleeding stomach, he didn't care.

Standing to his feet, he wiped away the blood that had somehow managed to begin slipping down his face. He turned to Kai, and he clenched his fists tightly.

"So you're the one who my girl has been running off to." Kai laughed deeply. "Don't get involved with her, kid. Oh, wait. I should have told you that a long time ago. But now..." He twirled the knife in his fingers and then smirked. "Now, I have to kill you. And then I'll kill her... and I thought that I'd finished her off. Dam girl."

Ichigo growled, "Don't you _ever_ touch her again!"

Kai lunged with the knife again, and Ichigo just barely dodged. Again and again, Kai attacked and Ichigo blocked. The younger man, however, was focusing his attention on both Kai and Rukia, so when another attack was launched, he failed to block and the knife plunged deeply into Ichigo's shoulder.

He winced in pain and ripped the knife from his skin. He gripped it tightly; he now had the advantage.

It took about ten and a half seconds, however, for Kai to run over and kick the knife out of Ichigo's hands.

"Don't even begin to think you can win, boy. Remember your father? Why he quit the force?"

Ichigo struggled to breathe as his heart beat in his chest. He didn't answer, and instead glared at the man in front of him.

"I'll tell you why. He was nearly killed almost thirteen years ago." There was a light in the man's eyes that almost made him seem happy. "He took a knife to the chest; went all the way through. I 'saved' him. Brought him to the hospital where his wife and kids were. Told everyone a story about how he'd been hurt on the operation we'd been sent on. But guess what? It was _me_. I _almost_ killed him."

Ichigo didn't want to believe Kai, but he knew that he was telling the truth. His father had nearly died, and even after the operation, he wouldn't have been able to be a policeman again. So, he'd started college again to be a doctor. He still remembered his father's words.

They'd been forced to move out of the house that they'd been living in, and Kurosaki Isshin had sat down beside his tiny son as he cried. Ichigo had asked his daddy why they had to leave their big house for a small one, and Isshin had told him,

_"Daddy can't do big boy work anymore because he was hurt, so I need to learn again. I'm gonna be a doctor, Ichigo, and I promise that when I start my new job, I'll move us all into a biiig house where you can chase Yuzu and Karin around. Your mommy will be able to have a huge kitchen, and I'll make you a backyard big enough for a hundred playgrounds. I'll do all that because I love you, and seeing you cry is making me sad, too. So dry your tears, little man, and you can help me._"

"You... you ... it was _you_?"

Kai's smirk grew as he stared into Ichigo's eyes. "Remember? He had everything I wanted. Sure, he only had one son and two daughters like me, but he had a wife who could still have children, and when she died... she was pregnant again. Did you know that? Your father was gushing about it at work, because the tests had said that his wife was having twins again. This time, two boys. I was so mad at him, because he was getting the sons that I wanted." Kai kicked Rukia in the stomach and sighed in disgust as Ichigo clenched his fists tighter and moved to stand in front of Rukia. He didn't speak; he wanted, _needed_, to know what Kai had to say. Was it a lie? Was it the truth? No, it _couldn't_ be...

The older man continued, "Your mom was walking with you down the street one day, holding your hand and smiling softly. She was beautiful, and I loved her more than I ever loved my own wife. I was holding my gun, and I don't know what took over me, but you were running away, and she was running after you, and I just pulled the trigger. I did love her, you know."

By now, Ichigo was shaking in anger and tears were beginning to pool in his eyes.

"You... you freaking _bastard_! You killed my mom!"

"I still loved her!" Kai yelled back.

"You don't know what love is!"

"Oh, and I suppose you do?"

"Yeah, I do! Because_ I _loved my mom! I loved her more than anything in the world! _I_ was the one who wanted to stand on the outer side of the road to protect her from the water, and _I_ was the one who always had the nerve to beat up on my dad when he said something even remotely mean to her. _Never _you. My dad loved my mom, and Yuzu and Karin did, too, but you_ never_ did, because you don't know what love is! You never loved your wife, and you'll sure as hell never love Rukia as much as I do!"

His eyes burning with anger and with a loud shout, Ichigo ran at the man who had the nerve to call himself a father. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as Kai was knocked backward. In a last attempt to free himself, he plunged his knife into Ichigo's side right before his head hit the wall with a sickening crack. Blood was everywhere, and Ichigo didn't know if the blood that covered his whole upper body was his or not.

He stood shakily to his feet, and couldn't help but feel a little bit disgusted that Kai was still breathing.

He pulled the knife out of his body and threw it across the room as he limped over to Rukia. He fell down beside her and reached out, his fingers dancing across her face. She looked up at him, her eyes barely open. He forced a sad smile as he stared into her eyes. He'd already pulled out his cell phone and had called 911 as he gently picked Rukia up into his arms.

"I-Ichi... go..."

He held her close and breathed in her scent. The beautiful smell of violets mixed with the stench of blood as he buried his face in her shoulder.

"Shh... Rukia, don't talk. Help will be here soon, I promise. Hang on just a little longer, K?"

She nodded as her small body began to shake. Ichigo wrapped his blood soaked coat around her and held her closer, trying to keep her warm.

His own body stung with pain, but he didn't care as he watched Rukia's eyes slip closed again.

"No! Rukia, come back to me. C'mon, don't close your eyes, please, Rukia, stay awake."

He didn't hear the sound of the ambulance as he continued to try and coax Rukia into opening her eyes again. She finally did, and his breath caught in his throat as he stared into her violet eyes, which seemed to lead into her very soul.

"Rukia, please stay with me. Help is here... please, Rukia..."

Rukia took a final breath as she whispered, "Thank y-you, Ichi... go... f-for l-loving ... m-me..."

And as her eyes closed for what was probably the last time, Ichigo pulled her tighter against his own body and screamed, not caring as the paramedics tried to take her away. He didn't care when his own vision began to fade, and he didn't care when his own eyes slipped closed.

The last thing he saw when his eyes slipped closed was Rukia. She was framed in a beautiful sunset and her hair was swirling around her face. Her violet eyes were open wide and she was smiling as her white dress swirled around her body.

She was an angel.

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_Woah_. Sorry that took so long to write! I tried not to make it horrible, but I had a hard time writing Kai as a total and complete whack-job. Did I do a good job? Huh, huh?

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**_Sneak preview of Chapter 12!_**

_The machines were all loud, but the only thing that Ichigo could hear was his own breathing and the constant, dull beeping of the single machine that kept Rukia alive. _

_Her hand was clasped tightly in his, but she seemed so lifeless laying in the bed of pure white. Her lips were pale as Ichigo leaned over and kissed her gently. He brushed her hair out of her face and tried not to cry as he turned to the doctors in the room._

_It'd been two weeks, and all the tests that had been run told Ichigo what he didn't want to hear; Rukia had brain damage, and she would probably never wake up. She was being taken to a special hospital far away, and he might never see her again._

_"Bye Rukia," he said, his voice beginning to shake. "I love you. I'll wait for you forever."_

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**Please NOTE: **All questions such as "What happened to Kai?", "Where was Byakuya during this whole chapter?" and "How in the world did Rukia get brain damage?" will be answered in the next chapter. Thanks!

_**Please Review!**_


	12. Fade Away

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Time of Dying** by** Three Days Grace.** Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

**NOTE: **Song change _(Points down) _is for this chapter **only**!

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_On the ground I lay, motionless in pain,  
I can see my life flashing before my eyes.  
Dead, I fall asleep... is this all a dream?  
Wake me up; I'm living a nightmare._

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**Concrete Angel — XII**

**_November 24th, 7:00 PM_**

Amber eyes opened, then slowly slipped closed again. Pain flowed throughout his body and made him shiver. The lights above his head were bright and when he finally forced his eyes open again, they flooded his vision. Loud voices echoed in his head, and he just wanted to block it all out. He wanted to sleep again, and not wake up.

But then he remembered everything that had happened in the last few hours.

"Rukia!"

He bolted up in the bed he was laying on, and the beeping from the machines beside him got louder and louder as his heart rate increased. Both his shoulder and side burned with pain as one of the doctors standing over him gently pushed him back onto the bed.

He looked around the room, and he saw three or four doctors. He saw the bloody rags that the doctors had thrown to the floor in the hurry to stabilize his condition. But what caught his eye most was the swinging doors only a few feet away from his bed. When one of the doctors walked from one trauma room to the other, the doors flew open, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Rukia laying on a bed in the other room. Doctors stood beside her and over her, and one of them was yelling orders that his foggy mind barely grasped.

One thing that he heard very clearly, however, was words that he knew would haunt him forever.

_"Help me over here! She's crashed again!"_

The doors closed again, and he felt his vision blacking out before he knew what was going on. All he knew was that Rukia was dying.

_"Love ya, Rukia,"_ he thought as he gave into the darkness.

**_December 8th, 2:00 AM_**

The next thing he saw swirling around in his vision was a small, white room. He was alone, and he could only feel a slight throb from where Kai had stabbed him.

Sitting up in bed, his eyes wide as he remembered what had happened to Rukia, he began to pull the tubes from his body. When he pulled out his IV, a small line of blood ran down his arm. With a wince, he threw it to the side and stood up. The heart monitor, having been disconnected from his body, began to blare loudly and there was a nurse in the room before Ichigo could even pull himself to his feet.

"Sir, lay back down. You've been asleep for almost two weeks," the young woman said, concern written all over her face. He struggled against her, but didn't have the strength to fight her off. In the end, he was laying back down on the bed, his breathing heavy.

"R-Rukia, I n-need to see Rukia," he gasped, his eyes rolling in his head as the nurse put the oxygen mask back over his lips and nose. He began to breathe easier, then asked,

"Where is she? R-Rukia, where is she?"

The nurse bit her lip, then sat down beside Ichigo. His amber eyes were wide as he stared at the her.

"Is she... is she dead?"

"No!" the woman said quickly. As she waved her arms frantically in front of her face, Ichigo caught sight of her name tag; her name was Inoue Orihime. A small, sad smile formed on Inoue's lips as she said, "No, Kuchiki Rukia is alive. She's... oh, how do I explain this?"

"Is she gonna be OK? Can I see her?" Ichigo asked anxiously.

"I could probably let you see her. I'd have to check with Dr. Kaname, however. He can explain her condition while we're at it, come to think of it!"

The innocent look on the young woman's face almost made Ichigo smile. As she was about to turn out of the room, she stuck her hand out.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Inoue Orihime!"

Ichigo shook her hand.

"I know."

"Huh? You _do_?" Her eyes were slightly wide, and Ichigo was beginning to question the fact that she was old enough to be a nurse.

"Your name tag," Ichigo replied. "Can I see the doctor now?"

"Oh, right!"

She skipped out of the room and soon came back with an older man. He smiled kindly as he walked in.

"Why, hello. How do you feel? You had us all worried. You were asleep for nearly _two weeks_, son."

"I'm fine," Ichigo said quickly. "How is Rukia? Can I see her? What the hell happened to Kai?"

"Woah! Slow down. First off, give it a little time. You just woke up after nearly fourteen days; it'll take a while before you're ready to move about. Second, are you talking about Kuchiki Kai?" At a nod from Ichigo, Kaname continued, "He is in the intensive care unit, with a police guard watching over him every minute of the day. As soon as he recovers from his wounds, he'll probably be taken to jail. And if you're going to ask about his son, Kuchiki Byakuya, he has gone missing without a trace."

There was a long, uncomfortable pause.

"And Rukia..." He trailed off, and his voice became very soft. He'd been warned by Ichigo's father, and several of the other doctors, that the first thing Ichigo would want to know about was the young girl named Rukia.

"Doctor..." Ichigo said, his voice trailing off.

"As you know, Rukia's wounds were extensive. She'd lost a lot of blood, and her body was shutting down. She was just barely alive when we arrived, but we lost her pulse on the way to the hospital. She's alive now, but I'm afraid that her brain was deprived of oxygen for a good amount of time. As of this moment, she's in a coma and we're not sure she's going to wake up."

In all his years of telling distraught parents and lovers the news of their loved ones dying, Dr. Kaname had learned that giving the news directly instead of dancing around the subject was the best for all involved. But as the boy in front of him struggled against his tears, he wished he could take back time and be a little less direct about it.

"I'm sorry..."

But Ichigo didn't hear him. His head was in his hands, and his breathing was rough.

"N-No, this can't be happening. No, no, no! Rukia _has_ to be fine! She's... Oh, God, I love her, this can't be happening..."

Kaname put a comforting hand on Ichigo's shoulder, but the young man didn't seem to notice.

"I n-need to see her. Please, I need to see h-her..."

Kaname nodded and soon, Ichigo was being led to Rukia's room in a wheelchair. There were halls and halls of white, and as they passed by each door, Ichigo could see people crying, smiling and even laughing. But he didn't care; he just wanted to see Rukia.

They stopped outside of Rukia's room, and Kaname turned to Ichigo. He said softly,

"Let me explain a few things real quick, all right?"

Ichigo nodded.

"As I said, all the tests that we've done show that there is some damage to her brain. If she wakes up—"

"When she wakes up," Ichigo corrected quietly, refusing to believe the truth that she might _never_ wake up..

"_When_ she wakes up," Kaname began again, "the damage could be anything from memory loss to complete loss of bodily and mental functions and she might never even move again. We know that the damage isn't bad, so if—_when_—she wakes up, she might recover and she might not. As of now, we're moving her to a special hospital in Tokyo later this afternoon."

Ichigo nodded and Kaname forced a smile. Inoue, who was following behind them, chirped, "OK, we're here!"

When Inoue opened the door for him, Ichigo felt his breath catch in his throat. He was moved to Rukia's side, and he took her hand in his.

She was laying in a pool of white sheets, her black hair spreading out on the pillow beneath her. Her violet eyes were closed, and he knew that they might never open again. The machines were all loud, but the only thing that Ichigo could hear was his own breathing and the constant, dull beeping of the single machine that kept Rukia alive.

Her hand was clasped tightly in his, but she seemed so lifeless laying in the bed of pure white. Her lips were pale as Ichigo leaned over and kissed her gently. He brushed her hair out of her face and tried not to cry.

It'd been two weeks, and the tests told Ichigo what he didn't want to hear; Rukia had brain damage, and she would probably never wake up. She was being taken to a special hospital far away, and he might never see her again.

"Bye Rukia," he said, his voice beginning to shake. "I love you. I'll wait for you forever."

He laid his head down on her stomach and breathed in deeply. She still smelled the same. She still looked the same. She was exactly the same as before... but she was different.

He stayed in the exact same position for some time. He only moved when Dr. Kaname told him that they had to go now; Rukia was being moved soon and they needed to prepare her.

"I... can I have a minute alone with her?" he asked; her hand was still clasped in his, and he wanted nothing more than to never let go.

Dr. Kaname and Inoue nodded and they walked outside of the room. Ichigo took in a deep, shaking breath.

"Hey, Rukia. I know you heard me before, but I ... I love you, and I just need you to know that. I'll come and visit you every chance I get, I promise."

He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips before beginning to move away. Her hand fell from his and, for the first time since his mother had died, he let himself cry for the girl he loved more than anything.

**_December 13th, 10:00 AM_**

"Kurosaki-kun? Are you still sad about Kuchiki-san?"

Bright eyes blinked at Ichigo as he stared blankly at his hands. He looked up into the smiling face of Inoue Orihime and he felt himself nod.

"Yeah. 'Course I am."

"Oh. Well, once my older brother told me that..."

Ichigo began to tune her out; over the last few days he had learned that she was a young, twenty-two year old girl who had just started working at the hospital, and apparently, her favorite past-time was bothering him. Or talking. Or both? He didn't know. But she used every second of her free time to come and talk to him. He was grateful for it, however, because in the time that she wasn't there, he was sulking and trying not to think of Rukia, because every time he did, he kept thinking of what had happened. And of how he couldn't protect her...

"... Are you listening to me?"

"Huh?" Ichigo looked up and tried to push sad thoughts of Rukia from his mind so he could replace them with happy memories of the girl he loved.

Inoue giggled.

"I _said_ that my husband is coming to pick me up today from work, and would you like to meet him? He might bring Rika and Riku with him, come to think of it..."

Ichigo was puzzled. "Rika and Riku?"

"Oh! Right. I haven't told you about them. They're my children." She was smiling more brightly than ever before as she said this. "They're two, and they're twins."

"Well, I'd love to meet them," Ichigo said. He frowned as he asked, "Aren't you a little young to have two kids?"

Inoue smiled and nodded. "Uh huh. Everyone says that. And believe me, I never drank sake again after that night. I guess I really couldn't, because even I'm not stupid enough to drink when I'm pregnant... but anyway, what was I saying before that?" She seemed deep in thought for a few seconds, then snapped her fingers. "Right! Anyway, when I was fifteen, I finished school and started college. That's where I met Uryuu. We were both sixteen and in college, so it was a little awkward around all of the bigger kids. We spent a lot of time together because of that."

Ichigo tried to pay attention this time, but his thoughts soon strayed back to Rukia. She'd been moved five days ago, and he wanted to see her badly. He knew that, when he was finally let out of the hospital, he would have to work hard to convince his dad to let him go to Tokyo alone, as he didn't want to interrupt Yuzu and Karin's school year. He honestly didn't care about _his_ school, of course.

"Oh! Here he is now!"

Ichigo was snapped out of his thoughts once again when Inoue jumped up from the chair she was sitting in. She ran over and hugged the man who walked through the door.

"Hi, Uryuu!"

He smiled gently and passed a small, black-haired child over to her. He walked into the room holding a little girl, and Inoue gently brushed the little boy's hair down. She walked back over to Ichigo and nodded to the baby boy in her arms.

"This is Riku. He's older than Rika by ten minutes. They just turned two about a month ago."

Ichigo smiled and tried to be polite. Inoue's husband kept pushing his glasses up on his nose, and when they finally left, Ichigo laid back, smiling to himself. Inoue was great company, but when you wanted to _think_, it was horrible. And he wanted to think right now; he just wanted to be left alone with his thoughts, and dreams of better times.

_Rukia_...

And as he thought of the black-haired, violet eyed girl, he let himself fall asleep.

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Well, yet another chapter finished. Im just working out the kinks to the plot, so please no flaming! _(I will ignore you, BTW, if it is pointless flaming. Heck, I'll ignore you anyway.)_

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**_Sneak preview of Chapter 13!_**

_Ichigo grabbed the phone sleepily and pressed it against his ear. He muttered something that might have been close to 'hello?' and yawned deeply as he stared at his clock; 3:00 AM. While he waited for the person on the other end to speak, he sat up in his hotel bed and looked around the dark room._

_"Kurosaki Ichigo?"_

_When the voice finally floated through the phone, Ichigo yawned again._

_"Speaking."_

_"This is Doctor Kane from the hospital where Kuchiki Rukia is staying."_

_Ichigo sat up a little straighter. His heart began to pound in his chest. When the doctor spoke his next words, however, Ichigo could feel his heart soaring and breaking at the same time._

_"She's woken up, but I'm afraid she remembers nothing of her previous life. And she doesn't remember you, or your family."_

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**NOTE:** Please no filling reviews with questions, once again, and please don't flame about how my plot moves too quickly. I _realize_ that Rukia hasn't been a coma long, and she's waking up in the next chapter.

_**Please Review! **(Runs and hides from angry mobs about the **sneak preview**)_


	13. Memories of Me

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel **by** Martina McBride.** Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

**NOTE: **For those who think that this is going nowhere, either wait a tiny bit or stop reading and stop _complaining._ (No one in reviews really complained, but I got two PMs with people flaming me about it. If you don't like it, don't read it! Geez. And if you want to flame, at least do it in a review so other people can see your _opinions_.)

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_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

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**Concrete Angel — XIII**

**_December 25th, 2:58 AM_**

It'd been twelve days, and nothing much had changed. Kai had gotten out of the hospital and had been brought to jail where he awaited his trial, and Byakuya was still missing. Ichigo had been let out of the hospital only ten days before, and because of Christmas break, had been able to go see Rukia. As of that moment, he was in a small hotel; he'd been to see Rukia the day before, and the days before that, too. But nothing had happened. She just laid there, motionless, in a bed of pure white.

And when he left each time, he'd whisper to her the words he wanted so badly for her to hear again.

_"I love you, Rukia._"

He'd been trying to sleep for hours, thoughts of Rukia that were running through his mind keeping him awake. He'd barely drifted off when the phone rang. He ignored it. It rang again, and he continued to ignore it until it reached its tenth ring. He _gave up_ on ignoring it.

Ichigo grabbed the phone sleepily and pressed it against his ear. He muttered something that might have been close to 'hello?' and yawned deeply as he stared at his clock; 3:00 AM. While he waited for the person on the other end to speak, he sat up in his hotel bed and looked around the dark room.

"Kurosaki Ichigo?"

When the voice finally floated through the phone, Ichigo yawned again.

"Speaking."

"This is Doctor Kane from the hospital where Kuchiki Rukia is staying."

Ichigo sat up a little straighter. His heart began to pound in his chest. When the doctor spoke his next words, however, Ichigo could feel his heart both soaring and breaking at the same time.

"She's woken up, but I'm afraid she remembers nothing of her previous life. And she doesn't remember you, or your family."

Ichigo's world froze, and he felt his heart pounding hard in his chest. His eyes were wide in the darkness, and his hand shook ever-so-slightly on the telephone receiver.

"W-What?"

The man on the other end paused, and when he finally spoke again, his voice was softer; more kind.

"I'm sorry to call at such an hour, but when she woke up, she yelled out your name. She's having trouble speaking and such now, because she just woke up from a coma, but for those first few seconds, she seemed like she'd just woken up from a simple nap. But afterward, when I asked her about it, all she did was ask who "Ichigo" was. I think you'd better come down. She's been awake for a good three hours now, but we weren't sure if we should call or not."

Ichigo nodded, but then, realizing that Dr. Kane couldn't see him, muttered softly, "Yeah. I'll be there soon. Um... thanks."

Ichigo put the phone up and just sat on his bed for a few minutes, his head in his hands.

Rukia didn't remember anything? God, how would they deal with this? Would she ever remember her dad and her brother, and, if so, would she remember how _he'd_ helped her? Would she remember... that he loved her?

Shaking such thoughts from his head, he stood to his feet and threw on a pair of jeans and a black sweater. After pulling on his shoes, he called a cab; he didn't trust himself to drive with all the emotions that were running through him. He wouldn't be able to concentrate, and if he hurt himself, who would help Rukia? But he needed to see her so badly... he needed to hold her.

_But would she let him?_

**_December 25th, 3:42 AM_ **

"R-Rukia?"

Ichigo walked into her room, and he felt his knees go weak when he saw her sitting up in the bed. She was being supported with pillows on both sides, and she looked both tired and weak. She was thin, even more so than she had been before, and when she moved to grab her water cup, her fingers shook so badly that she dropped it. Biting her lip, she looked up at the man who had just entered her room.

"Um... h-hello?"

Her voice was quiet and small, and Ichigo felt his heart swelling with love for her as he looked into her deep, violet eyes. He'd never, ever felt this way with anyone before. With his family it was different; the way he felt about Rukia went beyond love.

"D-do I know you?"

Ichigo tore his gaze away from her eyes and nodded as he bit his own lip.

"Yeah. I'm ... Kurosaki Ichigo. We're... ah, friends."

"Oh."

Neither spoke as Ichigo stuffed his hands in his pockets. He wanted to badly to hold her, but he knew that if he did, it might surprise her and give her the wrong impression of him. He waked closer and reached out, taking Rukia's hand gently in his. It was the most he would allow himself to do.

"Ichi... go..." She tried out the name and smiled slightly, her tired eyes moving to his. "I wish I could remember you."

Ichigo sat down in the chair beside her bed and when she caught his gaze, he felt warmth run through him.

"Could you tell me what happened?" she asked quietly. "How I got this scar?"

She pulled up her hospital shirt just slightly and motioned to the large scar on her stomach. Ichigo took in a deep breath and reached over, letting his fingers dance gently over her soft skin.

"I... don't think it'd be a good idea to tell you right now. I think it'd be best if I waited a bit to tell you."

"Then you'll stay here with me for a bit?" Rukia's eyes were questioning as she shifted her gaze toward him. He nodded and felt a smile come to his lips. They were silent for a while and Rukia's eyes were becoming heavy. The doctor had told Ichigo that Rukia, having just woken up from a coma, would be very tired, and he was surprised that she'd stayed awake as long as she had.

"Hey, look, get some sleep, OK?"

"But—" She paused and the smile slipped from her lips. "Will you leave? I'm scared here alone, I guess. I don't know anyone, and my mom and dad apparently can't come."

Ichigo winced. He wasn't looking forward to telling her that her mother had died when she was little and that her father was in jail. But then, when he looked into her worried face, he nodded and said, "I'll stay here."

"Good."

Ichigo helped her lay down, as she couldn't move too well yet, and then took his seat again. He would have stayed anyway. There was no way in hell that he was leaving her again. He would stay by her side until she was ready to go home, and when she was ready, he'd take her back with him and protect her forever.

He reached over and took her hand into his once again. Her skin was so soft, but the small, white scar on her hand that she'd told him she'd received from her father when she was five, reminded him of her past and of her pain. He'd have to tell her everything soon, but not now. Right now, he just wanted to be beside her, and to hold her close. He wanted to love her, and he wanted her to know that he did.

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

**_December 25th, 9:02 AM_ **

Ichigo yawned and rubbed a hand over his eyes. He'd woken up only ten minutes ago, and had just grabbed the phone to call his dad. He knew that Isshin, Yuzu and Karin would want to come up and see Rukia.The phone rang, and nearly ten rings later, Yuzu picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Yuzu."

"Oh, hi, Ichi-nii! Are you coming home? Your presents are still under the tree. Dad said that me and Karin could go ahead and open ours this morning, though, and we're having a big Christmas dinner tonight! It's going to be lots of fun, but if you want to stay there with Rukia-chan, then that's OK, too. It'd be like a present for her, and I know that you'd like it, so—"

Ichigo smiled at the sound of his sister's voice; she sounded slightly hyper. "Hey, can I talk to dad?"

"Um... sure. Just a sec."

It took more than two minutes, actually, to get their father. When he picked up the phone he grumbled at his son. "I'm shaving."

"Oops." Ichigo grinned, but then, as his amber eyes moved over to Rukia's sleeping form, he frowned and sighed. "Dad... Rukia woke up."

"What?! Ah, Crap!"

Ichigo paused and Isshin said,

"I just cut myself. Forget that. Rukia woke up? How is she? We're gonna come on up."

"No, dad, I don't think that'd be a good idea. I don't think Rukia needs more people around. I'd like to be alone with her for a while—"

"_Alone_? Do I get a grandchi—"

"Dad! No! Look... Rukia, she... she doesn't remember anything, and I think it'd be best if there wern't many people around. She's having enough trouble as it is, and honestly, I just... I want to spend some time with her and see if I can get her to remember anything... if I can get her to remember _me_."

"OK. We'll come up in a couple of days, then. They should let her out of the hospital within a day or two, as long as she can walk and is healthy. Usually when someone wakes up from a coma, a short one at least, they're released pretty quickly because they healed while they slept. Rukia... this is hard for you, huh?"

"Hard barely describes it, dad," Ichigo said, and he felt himself smile when he heard Rukia yawn; she was waking up. "Sorry, I have to go. Rukia's awake."

"All right. Just remember to talk about us a lot, and I need to go, too, actually. I cut myself pretty damn badly."

Ichigo laughed and said goodbye before hanging up. He turned to Rukia and smiled.

"Hey, good morning. Oh, and Merry Christmas!" He put on a smile and tried to sound happy.

"You're still here..." she said quietly, as if not quite believing it.

"Sure I am," he said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Rukia took a deep breath as Ichigo walked over and helped her sit up. He climbed up onto the bed beside her and looked into her eyes. She said, "I don't remember anything, but last night I was sure you'd leave me at the same time I was sure you'd stay. When I was little... were my parents never there for me? Is that why I'm afraid I'll always wake up and everyone will be gone?"

Ichigo felt anger once again toward Kai, but pushed it down; Rukia was more important.

"From what I've heard, yeah. Your dad wasn't an ideal father, but you told me you loved your mom more than anything."

"Loved? Did she leave us? Or is she... dead?"

Ichigo mentally kicked himself as he reached out, letting his hand rest on Rukia's cheek. He tilted her face up until his eyes met hers.

"You loved her, and she loved you more than anything in the world. Yes, she's gone, and lying to you won't help anything. But I _know_ that she wouldn't want you to be sad. Smile for her, all right?"

Rukia nodded, and put on the requested smile. Ichigo couldn't help it as he smiled, too. It was the one of the first times he'd smiled so brightly since he'd smiled for his own mom. Rukia lit up his world, and he wanted nothing more than for her to remember.

Silence fell between them and Rukia leaned her head on Ichigo's shoulder. He reached over and put his arm around her shoulder as he let her soft hair slip through his fingers. Finally, though, she spoke up.

"Ichigo... do you love me?"

The question caught Ichigo off guard, but before he could answer, she blushed a little and said, "I mean, you know, as more than a friend?"

Ichigo's mouth opened and closed a few times: Should he tell her the truth? Or not? Would it hurt her impression of him? Finally, he nodded.

"Yeah. I do."

Rukia nodded and smiled. "I saw it in your eyes. When you looked at me. And... whenever I look at you, even though I don't remember, one of the emotions that I can feel most clearly is love. I _guess_ I loved you, but I can't remember. Can... can you help me remember, Ichigo?"

He nodded and smiled, leaning his cheek against her hair. "I hope I can, Rukia."

"Ichigo?"

"Hmm?"

"Were you my boyfriend? You said you loved me..."

Ichigo couldn't help but let his smile grow when Rukia spoke. She was so different than she was before; she had none of those terrible memories haunting her, so she was care-free and curious. She asked what was on her mind, and she smiled and laughed, too.

"No, we weren't really together like that. I kissed you once, but then... well, let's just say we were interrupted. I told you I loved you when you got that scar; if the... _accident_ had never happened, I probably never would have said it outright, though. I never knew if you loved me back, but I'd always hoped."

"Well, maybe we can find out together," Rukia said, yawning. "You're different. I've had a lot of visitors, well, mostly the nurses and doctors, but even though I don't know them and I don't know you, the first time I saw you something clicked. I know I know you, but I just can't _remember_, and it's... it's... I _want_ to know, Ichigo. I want to remember you, who you were and who you are. I want to remember if I loved you."

"I'll help you remember, and I'll tell you what I know of your life. Rukia... you had it pretty rough most of your life. You had broken your arm just recently, but they were able to take the cast off while you were in your coma. You know your father wasn't a very good man... but it's more than that. I really don't know if I should tell you these things, or let you find out for yourself."

"Would you please tell me? I know... I know I never really loved my father, and I think I might have even hated him, but I'm not sure. I want to know, so please tell me."

Ichigo nodded. "All right. But I need to tell you something else, first. Once, while we were walking out together in the river, you promised me something."

Rukia looked curious as Ichigo spoke.

"You promised me that you'd never let your father or brother make you cry ever again. You did cry after that, but you were crying for your mom, so that's OK. And I know that you don't remember anything, so everything is going to be terribly hard to take in. But if you need to cry, please don't push me away, all right?"

Rukia nodded. She was still curled up on the bed beside Ichigo, her head on his shoulder. His arm was still looped around her waist and she turned to look at the ground as Ichigo started speaking.

"When you were little, I'm not sure how old, but... God, this is hard to tell you. I don't want to hurt you." Rukia just nodded for him to continue, so he did. "When you were little, your father was abusive to you, your mother, and your sister. Mostly to you, it seemed, because there were complications with your birth and your mother couldn't give your father another son like he wanted. He blamed you, I guess."

Rukia shivered beside him and he stopped talking.

"Rukia, I honestly don't think I should tell you all of this right now. How about you get some sleep, and I'll tell you later?"

Rukia wanted to argue with him, but decided against it; she was feeling tired, and she somehow knew that if she fought with Ichigo, he'd probably win. So, instead of fighting, she gave in and nodded, letting a small yawn escape her.

"All right."

Ichigo smiled and helped her lay down. She turned around in the bed until she was facing him as he sat down in the chair at her bedside. He sat down and she closed her eyes slowly.

" 'Night," she said quietly.

Ichigo smirked and somehow kept himself from oh-so-kindly informing her that it was ten in the morning. When he looked back over at her, she was asleep again. He shook his head in amusement at how she could fall asleep so quickly. With that thought in mind, he settled himself into the chair and closed his own eyes.

It was only two hours later, however, that he awoke to Rukia's quiet whimpering; she was having a nightmare. He was out of his chair and beside her in a flash. She awoke and shot up in bed, her eyes wide and a thin layer of sweat covering her body.

"Hey, Rukia, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice soft and quiet as he wrapped his arms around her shaking body.

"M-mommy..."

Ichigo knew immediately what she'd dreamed about, and he knew that he had probably caused it. She'd dreamed about her mother dying, and what he'd said earlier about her father being abusive was probably the trigger of that memory.

"Shhh..." He tried to calm her down a little, but she was shaking terribly. "Rukia... shh, it's all right."

Her eyes were filled with fear when she looked up at him.

"P-please stay w-with me, Ichigo... p-please... hold me. I'm s-scared."

He nodded and pulled her blanket over both of them. She buried her head in his chest, and, her small body still shaking, she began to fall asleep. He gently ran his fingers through his hair, and he couldn't even begin to explain the feelings running through him. He'd never held anyone like this in his life, but it felt so right.

And he never wanted to let her go.

* * *

_Well_, on that non-cliffhanger note, I'll see ya later! I promise another update before Saturday **unless **something comes up. Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? And I know Ichigo seems OOC, but suck it up; personally, I'm sure he'd be like that if he loved Rukia (He does!) and if he saw her in pain. So... flame away if you wish; I'll ignore flames.

**NOTE: **The plot is forming! This is how I planned it from the beginning, and if the plot is just forming now... I can safely say that this story is going to be 20+ chapters. Enjoy, and any comments on how good/bad the plot is would be nice! I need to know how I'm doing.

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**_Sneak preview of Chapter 14!_**

_"You're not going to take advantage of me in the night, are you?"_

_Rukia's piercing stare made Ichigo blush, but at the same time, smile, because of her smirk and how she held her hands on her hips. The sun was shining through the doorway and glinting off of the snow that had piled on the hotel's railings._

_"Of course not! If you expected me to do that, you would have ever come!" His blush wasn't from her question so much as it was from the thoughts of actually toughing her in _those_ ways. She sensed his thoughts and threw a pillow at him._

_"Pervert!"_

_She still hadn't remembered much, but little bits and pieces were coming back to her in her dreams. Memories of her mother, but mostly of him. She felt comfortable around the orange-haired teen because she _knew_ that he wouldn't take advantage of her. But she could still tease him, right?_

_Because she hadn't said anything to the pillow that had kindly greeted him in the face, Rukia felt the intense need to throw another one at him._

_So, she did._

_And that was how the pillow fight began. _

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_**Please Review! **(Pleeeeeeeeeeease?)_


	14. By Her Side

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel **by** Martina McBride**. Song for Dance: **Walking Her Home** by **Mark Shultz**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

**_Concrete Angel — XIV_**

**_December 27th, 2:15 PM_ **

Ichigo smiled as he watched Rukia bounce ahead of him. The sun was shining on the thick blanket of snow that had fallen the night before, and Rukia was tromping through it like it was the most interesting thing in the world. She was grinning, her hands clasped behind her back and her cheeks dusted a light red from the cold. She turned around to face him and waved as she looked around.

Ichigo laughed softly and shook his head. She was so different. She was carefree and silly. She was different from the Rukia that he knew before, but he still loved her just as much.

"Oi, Rukia! Turn around, you'll get yourself hurt," Ichigo yelled, wincing as she nearly stumbled on the sidewalk.

She stuck her tongue out at him and ran back to his side where she grabbed his hand. He blushed immediately as she began to haul him along. They were given several knowing looks from bystanders and Ichigo tried his best to ignore them.

"_Rukia_..." Ichigo began to whine. She turned around and grinned at him as she walked ahead of him, his hand in her own, and pulled him along. He suddenly forgot what he was going to whine about, and he just shook his head and grabbed her around the waist. She shrieked loudly as he hoisted her up on his shoulders.

"Ichigo, put me down!" she said, gripping his hair tightly. He held her ankles tightly to keep her from falling.

"Nope. You won't stop running, and you're gonna get yourself hurt. You just got out of the hospital three hours ago. Take it easy!"

Soon, Rukia was having fun sitting on top of Ichigo's shoulders; she could see everything. She commented on such, and Ichigo replied, "Well, that's because you're normally a midget, and I'm tall."

She kicked him and he grumbled under his breath.

After wandering around town a little more, Ichigo could see that Rukia had fallen asleep on his shoulders. He shook his head and smiled. His smile dropped, however, when the flash of a camera went off in his face. A small girl was grinning widely up at him as she handed him the instant picture.

"I got one, too!"

She bounced off, missing teeth and all, and Ichigo just stared, dumbfounded, at the picture in his hands. Rukia was laying her cheek on his head and was drooling a little and he was grinning happily up at her in said picture.

Shaking his head once again, Ichigo began the short trip back to his hotel room. He couldn't help but blush a little when he shifted Rukia from his shoulders. She fit perfectly in his arms, and he wanted her to stay there forever. His blush grew, however, when he walked into the hotel lobby and the clerk at the front desk raised her eyebrow and grinned at him.

Not wanting to know what she was suggesting or even_ thinking_, Ichigo quickened his pace and got into the elevator. He didn't want to wake Rukia, so when he opened the door to his room, it took him a good five minutes to grab at the key, stick it in the lock, and unlock said door.

He suddenly realized his mistake.

He had a one bedroom hotel.

Groaning, he sat Rukia on the bed, covered her up, and sat down on the floor, his back against the mattress. He'd have to come up with something, because there was no way in hell that Rukia was going to let him sleep in the same bed as her. Sure, she really seemed to trust him, but still...

Ichigo yawned, and his thoughts soon became foggy. Stealing the extra blanket from Rukia, he made himself a semi-comfortable bed on the floor and closed his eyes after glancing at the clock; it read three in the afternoon.

He'd been awake a good portion of every single night with Rukia when she'd wake up from a nightmare; he deserved a nap.

Yawning again, he drifted off to sleep.

**_December 27th, 5:30 PM_ **

Ichigo awoke to see Rukia sitting on his chest. Her bright violet eyes were staring into his and he yelled, sitting up fast. Rukia tumbled from his chest, her head landing on his knees, and her small, brown skirt blowing up for a second. Ichigo blushed and ignored the small peek of her panties that he got.

He yawned and ran a hand over his eyes.

"Five more minutes," he said, dropping back down onto his pillow... how had he gotten that, anyway? Rukia had been a pillow hog.

"No more minutes, Ichigo. I want answers."

He sat up again, and was somewhat relieved that Rukia had moved to the floor. She was sitting Indian style and her arms were crossed over her chest.

"Answers?" Ichigo questioned.

"Yes, answers. Like, where am I? Did you take advantage of me, and I'm hungry."

"Well, to start, your last question was a statement, not a question. Second, _no_ I did _not_ take advantage of you! And third, this is my hotel room. If you like, you can sleep outside instead of in here..."

Rukia sighed. "Fine. But I get the bed."

"I already gave it to you," Ichigo said, shooting her a tiny glare. She grinned and stood to her feet.

"You're not going to take advantage of me in the night, are you?"

Rukia's piercing stare made Ichigo blush, but at the same time, smile, because of her smirk and how she held her hands on her hips. The sun was shining through the window and glinting off of the snow that had piled on the hotel's railings.

"Of course not! If you expected me to do that, you would have never stepped outside of the hospital with me!" His blush wasn't from her question so much as it was from the thoughts of actually toughing her in _those_ ways. She sensed his thoughts and threw a pillow at him.

"Pervert!"

She still hadn't remembered much, but little bits and pieces were coming back to her in her dreams. Memories of her mother, but mostly of him. She felt comfortable around the orange-haired teen because she knew that he wouldn't take advantage of her. But she could still tease him, right?

Because Ichigo hadn't said anything to the pillow that had kindly greeted him in the face, Rukia felt the intense need to throw another one at him.

So, she did.

And that was how the pillow fight began.

Said pillow fight was intense, and about three seconds in, Ichigo realized that he didn't need to go easy on Rukia just because she was a _girl_.

In the end, she won, and, breathing hard, she dropped down onto the bed. Ichigo fell beside her.

"Now, I'm hungry," Rukia informed him.

"You already said that," Ichigo replied, yawning yet again and standing to his feet. He walked into the bathroom and slammed the door loudly. Rukia blinked a few times before dropping down onto the bed, her hands folded in her lap.

"Well, someone's a sore loser."

After about five minutes, Rukia was beginning to wonder what exactly Ichigo was doing in the bathroom. She sighed and decided to get dressed in something more warm—she fully planned on making Ichigo take her out for dinner, somewhere proper, and not just some fast food place. She stood to her feet, walked over to the bathroom door, and knocked.

"What!" was the response from inside.

"I'm getting dressed. Don't come out until I tell you that you can, all right?"

Rukia could practically see him rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. Go away."

Rukia stuck her tongue out at the door and walked back inside, then looked around to find her small backpack; in it was all of the clothing that she had with her. Ichigo had bought her a few outfits before she was let out of the hospital.

After grabbing some thick, black leggings and a slightly longer, jean skirt, she quickly changed. She finished before Ichigo did, and when he came out of the bathroom, he was holding a piece of toilet paper to his chin.

Rukia looked at him questioningly.

"I cut myself shaving. Don't say a word."

"Oh. Fine. Now... I'm hungry!"

Ichigo groaned and Rukia grinned.

**_December 27th, 5:59 PM_**

"Ichigo, why are we _here_? Are we going to eat clothes for dinner?"

Ichigo sighed and shoved her into the clothing shop.

"_No_. You need clothes, and besides, you need a dress."

"Why?" Rukia questioned, looking around the large shop. They had everything! They had everything a girl could even _imagine_.

"It's a surprise. But you need something more than a skirt where I'm taking you."

Rukia looked around the store for a good twenty minutes before she grabbed a handful of clothes to go try on. After she changed into each outfit, she hopped out and asked Ichigo what he thought.

She couldn't remember much about him or his personality, so she was going to test him. When she'd grabbed the clothes she wanted to try on, she'd also grabbed a matching set of small, black underclothing, despite the fact that it was December. She didn't like the thought of asking him outright if he was the kind of guy who took advantage of a girl just because she looked hot, so she decided this would work best.

She grinned as she pulled the clothes on. She was really doing this just to see the look on his face. And not having any memories helped; she felt daring, like she could do anything... in front of Ichigo, at least.

Rukia poked her head around the door to make sure no one but Ichigo was waiting on the other side, then jumped out.

"Ta-da!"

Ichigo spun around and his mouth promptly fell open. His cheeks turned a deep, dark shade of red, and he began to stutter.

"Ah... uh... R-Ru...k... ia?"

She giggled as she hid behind the stall door.

"Ichigo, your mouth is hanging open."

It took a second for him to respond.

"Ya think!?"

Rukia giggled more and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the stall. Oh, boy, did she feel daring. But she knew Ichigo wouldn't hurt her; he'd told her he loved her. And besides, over the last few days, he'd spent a lot of time telling her all about him and his family, and showing her pictures of them together, and even his journal, in which he'd written about her. He wanted her to know he was real; he was a real person from her life, and he really loved her.

And she believed him.

And now, she was testing him.

"Ah... Rukia? Um... what are you doing?" _Look anywhere but at her body. Anywhere... anywhere... oh, God, she has nice legs.._. Ichigo couldn't stop the thoughts that were pouring out of him as he watched her move closer to him. She laughed and shoved him out.

"Well, I can safely assume that you're not _too much_ of a pervert. Congrats, Ichigo, you passed test one."

He blushed even more and grumbled at her to just shut up and change.

"Your wish is my command," she said, smiling as she closed the door behind her. But not before kissing him on the cheek.

The last thing that Rukia tried on, after trying on several outfits and picking out three, was the dress. And Ichigo's mouth dropped open yet again.

It was beautiful. The dress was a light, sky blue color without straps. It was slightly tight around the top, but it flared out at the bottom, longer on one end than the other. It fit her perfectly, and seemed to make her bright, violet eyes stand out. Rukia was blushing a little and pulling on one of the ends, trying in vain to make it longer where it stopped a little above her knees.

And as strange as it seemed, Rukia was more self-consious in the dress than she had been in the panties and bra.

"Woah..." Ichigo said. "You look... you look beautiful, Rukia."

Her blush deepened and she twirled the dress in her fingers.

"You think so?" she asked, not meeting his eyes. He reached down and tilted her face up so he could see her.

"Yes, I do, Rukia. You're really beautiful in that dress.Will you get that one?"

Rukia nodded and smiled. Soon, she'd changed from the dress into her old clothing, and, after they bought the clothes, Ichigo led Rukia out into the cold snow. The snow had begun to fall again by the time they got back to the hotel, and Rukia went into the bathroom to change. Ichigo kept bugging her to hurry up.

"Rukia, come on! Our reservations are at seven, and it's six thirty-five now."

He tapped on the bathroom door a couple times, having already changed himself. He was wearing nice jeans and a black sweater. His hair was brushed carefully back and although he swore he'd never wear a suit again in his life after his mother's funeral, he looked just fine in what he was wearing.

"Rukia..."

He was getting impatient, and was tapping his foot on the floor.

Rukia finally came out of the bathroom only minutes later, and before she had a chance to put her shoes on right, Ichigo had pulled her out of the hotel.

**_December 27th, 7:45 PM_**

"This is all wrong," Rukia commented as she looked around the restaurant. "Oh! Not the restaurant, Ichigo, but-but... _this_."

"Care to elaborate?" Ichigo asked, smirking. Rukia kicked him under the table and took a sip of her tea.

"Usually when people go on a date—"

"Not a date," Ichigo said, blushing a little. Rukia ignored him.

"—the guy picks the girl up from her house, _after_ giving her longer than ten minutes to get ready, and her father tells the boy to take care of his daughter. Then the boy promises he will, and ... it's supposed to be romantic, but I suppose in our case it can't be because I can't remember much of anything. And what I do remember of my father... he wouldn't have done that kind of thing, huh?"

Ichigo shook his head sadly, then reached over to take her hand in his.

"C'mon, none of those thoughts right now, all right?"

Rukia nodded and forced a small smile.

When their food came only seconds later, there wasn't much talking until they finished. And when they did, Ichigo stood up from the table and took Rukia's hand in his as he motioned over toward the dance floor. She nodded and smiled as he led her over. A new song started when he took her hand in his, and Rukia laid her head on his chest as they moved to the music.

_Looking back,  
He sees it all.  
It was her first date,  
the night he came to call._

She didn't know why she trusted him. She'd thought on it a lot, and she didn't know why she should. He just showed up into her life when she'd remembered nothing, acting like he was her best friend in the world, which he might have been. She knew nothing of him, yet she seemed drawn to him. Maybe it _was_ love.

_Her dad said, "Son  
Have her home on time.  
And promise me you'll never leave her side."  
And so he took her to a show in town,  
And he was ten feet off the ground._

Her father had never said anything like that. From what she remembered, he didn't care what happened to her. She'd wake up in the middle of the night, screaming because of the nightmares. And they must have gotten worse, because when she told Ichigo about them, he only seemed slightly relieved. Maybe because it wasn't the memory he was looking for. Maybe her father hated her more than she knew.

_He was walking her home,  
And holding her hand.  
Oh, the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him.  
Down that old road,  
With the stars up above.  
He remembers where he was the night he fell in love.  
He was walking her home._

Rukia leaned her head against Ichigo's chest as they danced. She wondered what they had been doing when Ichigo fell in love with her. She'd have to ask him later, but for now she just wanted to dance.

_Ten more years and a waiting room,  
At half past one.  
And the doctor said, "Come in and meet your son."  
And h__is knees went weak,  
When he saw his wife.  
She was smiling as she said, "He's got your eyes."  
__And as she slept he held her tight,  
His mind went back to that first night._

Rukia wondered what her father had been like when her brother had been born, or her sister... or even herself. When she was born, had her father's knees gone weak when he saw her? Or did he hate her from the moment she was born, because she wasn't the boy he'd wanted for so long?

As if Ichigo sensed her thoughts, he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't notice when the tears began to run slowly down her cheeks. Ichigo reached down and wiped them away, but more still came. He took her hand and led her away from the dance floor; she collapsed into his arms and closed her eyes tightly as memories of her father and mother suddenly assaulted her mind.

Images, voices, and screams filled her vision as she hung tightly to Ichigo.

"Rukia? Are you all right? C'mon, Rukia, say something..."

They were getting several strange looks from the people standing by, and by now, most people had stopped dancing and were becoming concerned.

"Rukia!"

Ichigo just held her, because he didn't know what to do. What was happening? What was going on?

_Rukia..._

"I-Ichi... go... my father... I-I remember..."

Rukia was crying harder now and her hands were white as she gripped onto Ichigo's shirt, as if she were hanging on for life. He picked her up in his arms and ran out of the restaurant. As the door closed behind him, he heard the last few words of the song that had been playing, and he knew that he never wanted to leave Rukia's side.

_He walked her through the best days of her life,  
Sixty years together and he never left her side..._

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_Ouch_. Super ouch. People going to kill me, yes? It was totally, completely fluffy at the beginning and then turned really serious. I hope you liked it, though! And please review!

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**_Sneak preview of Chapter 15!_**

_"Rukia..."_

_Ichigo sat on the edge of Rukia's bed and reached out to touch her. She flinched and moved away; she was still crying._

_"I b-broke my promise. My father... made me c-cry again."_

_After a few moments, Rukia dropped into Ichigo's arms and cried. She couldn't help it. Her first memories of her family were of her father, and what he did to her. Ichigo just held her tightly and didn't let go. _

_"I don't want to remember... I don't want to remember... I don't want to remember..."_

_And all he could do was hold her._

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_**Please Review! **(Pleeeeeeease? I'll update faster! (Might update before friday... and _yes_, that was a bribe.))_


	15. Set Me Free

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel **by** Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

**_Concrete Angel — XV_**

**_December 27th, 10:15 PM_**

When he finally reached his hotel room, Ichigo walked inside, not even bothering to turn on the lights, and sat on the bed. Rukia was still shaking in his arms, and when he tried to put her down, she just hung on tighter to his shirt. So, he held her. He held her close, and gently hummed to her. It was something he didn't with his sisters when they were scared, and it always calmed them down.

But right now, he was sure that nothing he could possibly do for the woman that he held so gently, the woman he loved with all of his heart.

"I-Ichigo..."

He looked down to see Rukia staring up at him, her violet eyes filled with tears. He tried to force a smile, but seeing her so broken was hard.

"Ichigo... I r-remember my f-father..."

Ichigo closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. He knew what she had remembered; it had to be. Nothing else could make her break down so badly. Nothing else could have made her cry as many tears as she had, or make her shake in his arms as she did.

"Shh..." he said quietly, trying to calm her down. "It'll be all right. He's gone now. He'll never come back, and I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you."

His slow, soft words seemed to have some calming effect on her, but not much. So he kept talking so quietly he was sure she couldn't hear him. But he knew she could, because slowly, she began so stop shaking. Her grip on his shirt loosened, but she didn't let go, and her tears finally stopped coming.

He managed a tiny smile.

"It's all right to cry, Rukia," he said slowly. "But when I see you like this, it breaks my heart. I won't ask you to cheer up, because I know you can't."

She looked up into his eyes and then moved a little bit away.

"Why did my father do that to me?" she asked quietly, her voice a little more strong than it had been. "And... a-and, my brother, too..."

Ichigo shook his head. "I don't know, but I won't let them ever touch you again. Ever."

His voice was slightly muffled by her hair, but she heard him just fine. She nodded and, wiping her tears away with a shaking hand, pulled back and stood to her feet on the floor. She nearly fell over, but Ichigo caught her and helped her stand up straight. Taking a deep breath, he said,

"You should get changed for bed, Rukia." Attempting to add some humor the the situation, he added, "Next time, if you want, you could wear your pajamas to dinner, and your dress to bed."

Rukia cracked the smallest of smiles as she reached into her bag. She pulled out the brand new, bright pink pair of pajamas that Ichigo had bought her. They had Chappy bunnies all over them, and the footies made her seriously doubt as to if they were really meant for an older teen. She went into the bathroom to change, but soon found that her hands were shaking too badly to remove her dress.

"I-Ichigo?" she called softly. He popped his head in seconds later, looking concerned. She blushed a little as she said, "I n-need help..."

Ichigo walked in and closed the door behind himself. He'd already changed into his bed clothing; a white T-shirt, and a pair of baggy shorts. He tried his best to focus on the deathly pink pajamas in his hands as he helped Rukia take her dress off, but he couldn't help letting his fingers run over her soft skin. Her hands were still shaking as he pulled her shirt on from behind, and that alone was enough to snap himself out of the trance he seemed to be in.

Soon, Rukia, with the help of Ichigo, was fully dressed. She turned around and looked into his eyes. He didn't break their gaze; he needed her to know that she could trust him.

When she finally looked away, she moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest. As if sensing his thoughts, she whispered,

"I trust you, Ichigo."

He smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her. When she began to show signs of falling asleep, he gently picked her up in his arms like he would a small child, and walked out of the bathroom. Gently laying her on the bed, he pulled a quilt over her and sat beside her until she fell asleep.

When she finally slipped into dreams, her hands were still shaking.

**_December 28th, 3:33 AM_**

Ichigo awoke in the middle of the night to Rukia's screams.

"Rukia!" He jumped up from his make-shift bed on the floor and ran over to her side. She was breathing hard, and her whole body was covered in sweat. She'd begun crying again, and all he could do was watch her; she screamed when he got close to her.

"Rukia..."

Ichigo sat on the edge of her bed and reached out to touch her. She flinched and moved away; she was still crying.

"I b-broke my promise. My father... made me c-cry again."

After a few moments, Rukia dropped into Ichigo's arms and wept. She couldn't help it. Her first memories of her family were of her father, and what he did to her. Ichigo just held her tightly and didn't let go.

"I don't want to remember... I don't want to remember... _I don't want to remember_..."

And all he could do was hold her. It was all he could do, and it made him want to scream. He had to watch her hold so much pain, and it was breaking him inside. He watched as she cried, as she shook in his arms, and he wished he could take away her pain and make it his own.

"Rukia... shhh... you're safe here."

"H-he killed my m-m-mommy..."

Oh, God. She'd remembered.

Ichigo pulled her closer and she didn't resist. Neither of them moved until Rukia's tears had slowed. She didn't look up at him, but she gripped his shirt tightly in her hands.

"Ichigo, make the memories g-go away... make them stop..."

"I can't, Rukia. I wish I could. Oh, God, I wish I could."

Ichigo needed to know what else she remembered, so he asked her softly. She didn't respond for a second, but when she did, her voice was low and quiet.

"I r-remember my father and mommy, and my b-brother and Hisana. I remember _you_, and what you did for me, t-too. I remember my promise, and I remember that I broke it. I don't w-want to cry anymore, Ichigo. I want it all to g-go away. I want the pain to g-go away. I don't want to cry. I want to be free from _h-him_, because I r-remember everything he did to me."

She had finally stopped crying, and she pulled herself a little bit away from him. She still held his hand.

"Want to talk about it?" Ichigo asked slowly. Rukia nodded a little.

"I... I want to be strong. I know I broke my promise, but can we start over? I... don't want to cry anymore. I was never given a chance to be strong, and I want to try."

Ichigo noticed that her voice was loosing every bit of shakiness that once laced it. Her voice was beginning to get louder and more confident.

"You _are_ strong, Rukia. You're one of the strongest people I know," Ichigo said, smiling. "When you found out what had happened, you'd somehow managed to shove all of your pain and suffering deep down in your heart and move on with a smile. I could never have done that."

"Ichigo?" Rukia said slowly. "Will you stay with me tonight? I-I'm afraid of the dreams. Stay with me... beside me."

Ichigo knew what she was asking, and he'd done it before. It seemed to give her comfort that he was there, so he nodded. When she pulled the quilt up and moved under it, he did, too. He kept a small distance between them, but Rukia closed the gap when she laid her head on his chest.

She said quietly, "I won't cry anymore. I don't think I'll heal from this for a long, long time, but he'll never make me cry again. I can't do it all by myself... will you help me, Ichigo?"

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah."

**_December 28th, 7:01 AM_**

Ichigo groaned and rolled over, careful not to wake Rukia, and slapped his hand down on the ringing phone. He picked it up and put it to his ear. He muttered a sleepy 'hello?' and sat up, running his hand over his eyes. It was just beginning to get light outside, and he wanted to sleep for a good ten more hours.

"Ichigo?"

It was his father on the other end.

"Yeah? Iz me." His speech was still a little slurred; he was half asleep.

"Ichigo, you need to get back here."

"Huh?"

He was confused, tired, and was only hearing about half of his dad's words. In order to wake himself up further, Ichigo stood up from bed as Rukia rolled over and frowned, apparently missing the warmth of his body. He walked over to the door, opened it, and moved out into the freezing cold.

_There_. Now he was more awake.

"What? Why, dad?" he asked, yawning. On the other end, Isshin was getting irritated; Ichigo wasn't acting the least bit serious.

"Because Kai was let go."

Ichigo nearly dropped the portable phone.

"What!?" It was only after he screamed that he managed to remember that everyone in the hotel complex was still probably sleeping. He lowered his voice. "What the _hell_? Why?"

It seemed to Ichigo that his father couldn't speak fast enough as he rushed through what he was trying to say.

"Look, he went in for his trial, and I got the evidence that was given to me. We never actually did a DNA test on the semen we found inside of Rukia's body, because we never even _imagined_ that she had been raped by her brother, too. The only DNA that we could positively identify, when we _did_ do a test, was Byakuya's, but he's still missing. We couldn't get evidence on the fight between him and you, either. You had the knife last, and all the fingerprints were either yours, or were smudged by blood too badly to get a clear scan; he claimed you attacked him, and he'd reacted in self-defense. Again, neither you or Rukia were there to testify. If you'd been there, things would be different, and the court was willing to wait until you could come back and testify, but Kai went missing two days ago.

"No one can find him, and the judge decided that, if he is found, they'd finish the trial and he'd most likely be sentenced to several years in prison. But he's just... _gone_. Ichigo... stay close to Rukia, and protect her with your life. Kai is out there somewhere, and he's looking for her. Come home, she'll be safer here."

Ichigo was shaking, both with anger and fear. He was about to respond to his dad when Rukia poked her head out the door. Her eyes looked sleepy and she gave him a tiny smile.

"Ichigo, you're gonna freeze to death out there. Get inside," she said, tugging at his arm. "And who's on the phone?"

"My dad," Ichigo said, going back inside. Then, to his father, he said, "Dad, Rukia's awake. I need to go. We'll come home as soon as possible. Oh, and by the way, Rukia's remembered everything. As in, _everything_."

Isshin took a deep breath in; Ichigo could hear it. "How is she doing?"

"Pretty well. Remembering me and you guys helped, too. But I need to go now. And dad... please, try and find more information on where _he_ is right now."

"Will do. And Ichigo...?"

"Yeah, dad?"

"Be careful."

Ichigo said, softly, that he would, then hung up. He turned to Rukia, who was sitting Indian style on the bed. She was biting her lip and looking down at the floor. He smiled and walked over to her.

"Hey, how're you doing?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him and said, "I'll be fine. What did your dad need?"

"Ah... we need to go back home."

Rukia visibly flinched. Ichigo noticed, then quickly added, "No! Back to my house. Um... your father... he disappeared. He went missing in the middle of the trial, and my dad thinks you'd be safer at our house. We should go soon, Rukia."

She nodded, but didn't move. She was still in shock from her memories returning, and Ichigo didn't blame her. And, on top of it all, she'd just learned that her father wasn't in jail, and he was free. A million thoughts ran through her head as Ichigo walked around the room and threw their stuff into their backpacks. Soon, he had everything together in one place and turned to Rukia.

"C'mon, let's go."

She nodded numbly, stood to her feet, and followed Ichigo out the door, grabbing his hand as they walked down the stairs. He smiled softly at her, as if trying to make her worry melt away.

**_December 28th, 11:30 PM_**

Ichigo sighed and jumped out of his bed. He and Rukia had arrived home only five hours ago, and as soon as they'd had dinner, she'd gone off to sleep, and he'd been trying. But every now and then, he would sit up in his bed, and almost walk out the door to go check on Rukia. But then he'd mentally slap himself, trying to convince himself that Rukia was just _fine_, and she was sleeping only thirty feet away from him.

But this time, he just walked straight out of his room and into hers. She was still sleeping in the guest room, and as he approached the door, he could hear her soft breathing in the silent night.

He was about to turn around and go back to his room, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, so he walked inside of Rukia's room and sat down on her bed.

She was sleeping soundly, her black hair pooled out beneath her head, and her small, pink lips moved ever-so-slightly with each breath she took. Her eyes opened when he sat on the bed, however, and she blinked sleepily up at him.

"Hey, Rukia," Ichigo said softly, reaching to brush her hair out of her eyes.

"Mmm... Ichi?" she asked sleepily. Ichigo laughed gently as she called him Ichi.

"Sorry to wake you. I couldn't sleep—"

"So you decided I shouldn't sleep, either?"

Ichigo frowned playfully at her; she was grinning. And, for the few minutes they were together, they both completely forgot about Kai and Byakuya, and everything else that was causing them pain. It was as if just seeing her smile made his heart complete again.

"No. I couldn't sleep because I needed to see you." Ichigo paused for a second. "_That_ is not how I meant it."

Rukia giggled and shifted so she could use Ichigo's lap as a pillow.

"I meant that I just needed to see you to reassure myself that you're perfectly fine, and that your still here, that you haven't left me."

Rukia yawned and closed her intense, violet eyes.

"Mm... not going anywhere."

Neither of them spoke for a second, then Rukia asked softly, "Stay with me?"

He nodded, smiled, and climbed under the blanket with her. It was becoming normal for him to climb into bed beside her, and he rather liked it. He knew his dad would make a huge deal out of it in the morning, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be beside her.

She curled into his arms and closed her eyes again. He did, too, and time found him asleep only minutes later.

**_December 29th, 7:10 AM_**

Ichigo yawned and opened his eyes. Rukia wasn't laying beside him.

He jumped up from the bed and bolted downstairs. He knew she was there, but the memory of the time she had left, the time she had went back to her father, still haunted him. When he saw her having a mini flour fight with Yuzu in the kitchen, however, he slowed his pace and grinned, sticking his hands in his pocket.

"Good morning, Ichi-nii!" Yuzu said happily, coughing as Rukia threw flour in her face. She turned her attention from her amused brother back to Rukia and began the fight all over again. Ichigo sat down at the table and raised an eyebrow at the two girls.

"Don't suppose any of that flour is actually being used to cook?"

Yuzu sent him a mock glare and he stuck his tongue out at her. In less than three minutes, Rukia had won the flour fight and she went over to sit beside Ichigo at the table after helping Yuzu finish up breakfast.

Ichigo moved way, way away from her.

She stuck out her lip, and Ichigo stuck out his tongue. Again. Then, he seemed to remember something, and he reached inside his jeans pocket. He looked at the paper he pulled out and handed it to Rukia. She grinned when she saw it.

"What's this?" she asked.

It was the picture that the little girl had taken when Rukia had fallen asleep on Ichigo's shoulders.

"Oh, just a picture. Remember that? It was after you got out of the hospital and before you remembered everything."

Rukia flinched at the reminder of her memories, and she didn't smile again all throughout breakfast except when she looked at the picture. It was after breakfast that Isshin called Ichigo and Rukia into his office. They followed him, curious, and he sat down, motioning for them to do the same.

"Ichigo, Rukia, as you know, Kai is missing."

Rukia nodded and folded her hands in her lap. When Ichigo reached over and took her hand into his, it was shaking; she was still scared, no matter what mask she put around his family. She was scared, angry, and broken inside.

"There's been a sighting, but he disappeared again before the police arrived."

"Where?" Ichigo questioned, almost afraid to ask.

"Only three miles from here."

Rukia's hands began to shake a little more, and Ichigo took a deep breath in. He turned to Rukia, smirking at the same time he was smiling.

"Don't worry, Rukia. I'll protect you."

She managed a small nod, and as Ichigo squeezed her hand tightly, she found that his words comforted her, and made most of her worry melt away.

_He would protect her.._.

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_HOLW **WOW**!_ I got **48** reviews for the last chapter! _(Falls over and **dies**)_

Sooo, whatcha think? Didja like it? Hate it? Any comments would be nice. And... for the record, I wrote everything out on paper yesterday, and this is going to reach 20-25 chapters, possibly more. Yikes! Good thing, or **bad**?

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**_Sneak preview of Chapter 16!_**

_Ichigo looked over at Rukia and placed his fingers on her cheek._

_"You're scared," he observed. Rukia began to protest, but he placed a finger on her lips. "C'mon, Rukia. It'll be all right. I promise. I'll do everything within my power to make sure you're safe, 'cause I love ya."_

_She bit her lip._

_"Why?"_

_"Why what?" Ichigo asked, slightly confused._

_"Why do you love me? I... when I first came here, all I did was sit in my room and cry. And when I found out about what my dad did to me, I ignored everyone. I'm unclean, and I don't deserved to be loved by you. Why? Why do you love me?"_

_Ichigo took her hand into his and gently caressed her fingers with his own._

_"You gave me every reason in the world to love you, and even if you hadn't, do I need a reason? And Rukia, don't ever think you're unclean. You're perfect, and I don't care what your father might have done."_

_There was silence for a few seconds, then Rukia said softly, "Will you kiss me?"_

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**NOTE: **I _know_ Ichigo is OOC. But as soon as Rukia stops remembering the horrible things that her father did to her, and those two get back into their normal relationship, he'll be a little more IC. But the guy's in love! Give him a break. _(Grins)_. But if you have suggestions that would help me...

**_Please Review!_**


	16. Into The Storm

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel **by** Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

**_Concrete Angel — XVI_**

**_December 29th, 4:00 PM_**

Rukia sat on her bed, sighing and twirling her hair in her fingers. It'd been over seven hours since Kurosaki Isshin had told her the news of her father being close by. After he'd left the room, however, Ichigo had smiled at her and pulled her into his arms.

_"Hey, calm down a little, all right? Didn't I say I'd never let anything happen to you?" Ichigo smirked, hoping that he seemed a little more confident than he was. He'd almost died fighting Kai that once; what would he do if he came after Rukia again?_

_Forcing those kinds of thoughts to the back of his mind, Ichigo tried to concentrate on the girl in front of him. She wasn't crying, but she did look scared. When she slowly moved her eyes to meet his, however, she gave him a small, warm smile._

_"I know, Ichigo. I know you'll protect me. I trust you."_

_He smiled as Rukia pulled back and brushed her hair out of her eyes. She stood to her feet and walked over to the door. He followed her, and she felt a small blush rise to her cheeks when he reached out and took her hand in his. _

Rukia couldn't help but smile a little as she remembered the few minutes she'd shared with Ichigo. It had only been a short time, but it was enough. And she trusted him to keep her safe.

As she curled up under her blanket and silently cursed the heater for going out, she wondered how Isshin and Ichigo were getting along with fixing it. Said two men were outside in the freezing, below zero temperatures trying to fix the heater before everyone inside, and outside, were turned into solid ice cubes.

Rukia blinked in the darkness of her room as the lights flickered off. She could hear Ichigo screaming loudly outside, and then the door slamming as he and his father came in the house. She could guess what happened; the snow storm had knocked out the power, and that included all heater, so even if they had fixed it, they wouldn't know. She suddenly felt a new hate for electric heaters.

Ichigo's voice soon floated upstairs.

"Oy, Rukia, Yuzu, Karin! Bring blankets and the portable heaters and get down here! Power's out, and it's gonna get cold!"

Rukia grinned at the annoyance in Ichigo's voice as she crawled off of her bed, the huge, fluffy quilt over her shoulders making her seem even smaller than she was as she dragged it along behind her. She met Yuzu and Karin on the stairs; they both carried blankets and heaters.

"Can I help you get that stuff downstairs?" Rukia asked gently, grinning. Yuzu nodded and handed Rukia blankets as she huffed and puffed trying to get the heater down.

"Thanks, Rukia-chan!"

The three girls were soon down in the living room where Ichigo was attempting to get some lamps lit. He kept burning his fingers and yelling, but soon, there were enough small oil lamps and candles to see as far as the kitchen. Even though it was only four in the afternoon, the sudden storm that had started raging only hours before had made the sky go dark.

Isshin grinned and clapped his hands together.

"Well, in order to stay warm, we're gonna need _... body heat_!"

He gave Ichigo a knowing look and a small wink. Ichigo ground his teeth together and ignored his dad as he passed out the blankets that Rukia was holding. Then, when she sat down in front of the heater, he joined her under her dark, purple quilt. She blinked at him a few times but didn't say a word as he took her hands into his and rubbed them in attempt to warm them. They were bright pink with the cold.

"Get closer to the heater, Rukia," Ichigo said, concern lacing his voice. "You're gonna freeze."

Yuzu and Karin were sharing their two blankets and were sitting on the other side of the heater that Ichigo and Rukia were beside. Isshin had hogged the second, smaller, portable heater for himself. Everyone was quiet for a while, the only noise echoing through the house the harsh, hard wind. It blew against the windows, and Ichigo shivered; it was almost as though he could feel it. It had taken mere minutes to sap the warmth from the small clinic and turn it into a den of ice.

"Ichigo, I can't feel my toes," Rukia said, her teeth chattering. He frowned when he saw she wasn't wearing socks, and as he took the blanket from his own shoulders and began to wrap it more tightly around Rukia's small body, he looked to Yuzu and Karin in concern.

"How are you two doing?"

Yuzu smiled. "We're fine, Ichi-nii. Rukia has a fever, so it's understandable that she's more cold. Here, I'll turn the heater up. It'll have to go down soon, though, because we need to save the battery."

Ichigo nodded, and once he was done wrapping Rukia in the blanket, he couldn't help but smile. She looked so cute and small in the huge, purple quilt.

But then, as if Yuzu's words had just hit him for the first time, he whirled around.

"Rukia has a fever? And how come no one thought to even tell me?"

Yuzu opened her mouth to speak, but Rukia said slowly, "I didn't want you to worry. It's probably just a cold."

Ichigo frowned as he reached over and placed his hand on her forehead. It was very warm.

"Rukia, you should have told me. You cut yourself this morning, stupid, and you could have an infection. Shirt up; I wanna see the cut."

Rukia sighed, and shrugged the blanket away from her stomach. She lifted her shirt the smallest bit to where Ichigo could inspect said cut.

He reached out and gently touched her stomach. As he peeled back the bandage, he couldn't help but notice that her skin was very soft. Rukia winced when his rough fingers brushed the small gash that she'd inflicted on herself that very morning when she'd accidentally dropped her knife, and Ichigo looked up at her in concern. She smiled and he placed the bandage back over her injury.

"It looks all right, but you still should have told me," Ichigo said, sighing in relief and mock annoyance. Rukia nodded, yawned, and laid her head on his lap. He shivered from the cold and wrapped the thinner, more rough blanket around his shoulders; it was one of the ones that Yuzu had brought down. But, as he looked at Rukia's small, shivering form, he shifted around and placed half of the blanket around her small body.

She smiled and drifted off to sleep.

**_December 25th, 2:20 PM — 1995, Rukia: Five-Years-Old_**

_"Daddy! I scared of the storm." _

_Five-year-old Rukia gripped her father's hand tightly as tears slipped, unnoticed, down her pale, tiny face. Kuchiki Kai ripped his hand from the little girl's and turned his back on her as the snow hit hard against the windows and the wind shook everything. Rukia ran away as her father slapped her hard against the cheek._

_"I said leave me alone! I have work to do!"_

_Rukia, sure that she'd done something terrible, curled into the corner beside her daddy's bed. Hisana smiled bravely at her from where she sat nearby, for she, too, was scared. _

_And as she looked at her father, who hated her so much, Rukia finally noticed the tears slipping down her face._

_Her father did, too._

_"Little brat. 'The hell are _you_ crying 'bout?"_

_Rukia could tell that her daddy was drunk. She always knew. She tried not to cry again as her father reached out, grabbed her hair, and hauled her to her feet. She squeaked in pain, but Kai didn't even notice as he threw her against the wall. _

_Rukia slipped down and fell to the floor. Her head ached, and the taste of blood in her mouth was strong. She slipped her eyes closed and tried to hold in her tears as she shivered from the cold draft coming in the house._

_And as soon as the storm stopped raging outside, she ran through the door and didn't stop running until she collapsed from exhaustion behind a large bush. _

_'Mommy, save me...'_

_But she knew her mommy wasn't coming. She'd never come again. _

_She was gone._

**_December 30th, 12:30 AM _**

Ichigo yawned as he opened his eyes. It was still cold, the power was still out, and his father was snoring like a freight train as he slept on. Yuzu and Karin were sleeping peacefully, but as he glanced over at Rukia, he saw that she was shivering. His fingers danced gently across her forehead, and he frowned. If anything, her fever had gotten worse, not better.

And, as he watched her, he noticed the single, crystal tear that slid slowly down her pale cheek. He took a deep breath in and gently shook her awake.

She bolted straight up, her breathing hard. She noticed the tear slipping down her cheek and hastily wiped it away.

"Rukia, what's wrong?" Ichigo asked, concern written all over his face. She shook her head, her black hair bouncing slightly at the motion.

She whispered, "N-nothing."

"Dreams? Of... him?" Ichigo guessed, reaching over and taking Rukia's hand into his. She nodded slowly and took a deep breath in. He just stared into her eyes for a second before he reached over and gently kissed her cheek, his lips wiping unnoticed tears off of her cheek.

"I-I'm crying again," Rukia said quietly. Ichigo pulled back and tried to give her an encouraging smile.

"Hey, Rukia... "

Ichigo looked over at Rukia and placed his fingers on her cheek.

"... You're scared," he observed. Rukia began to protest, but he placed a finger on her lips. "C'mon, Rukia. It'll be all right. I promise. I'll do everything within my power to make sure you're safe, 'cause I love ya."

She bit her lip.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Ichigo asked, slightly confused.

"Why do you love me? I... when I first came here, all I did was sit in my room and cry. And when I found out about what my dad did to me, I ignored everyone. I'm unclean, and I don't deserved to be loved by you. Why? Why do you love me?"

Ichigo took her hand into his and gently caressed her fingers with his own.

"You gave me every reason in the world to love you, and even if you hadn't, do I need a reason? And Rukia, don't ever think you're unclean. You're perfect, and I don't care what your father might have done."

There was silence for a few seconds, then Rukia said softly, "Will you kiss me?"

Ichigo looked slightly surprised, and Rukia quickly said, "I... I remember everything, you know. I remember how I felt about you, and when you kissed me before. Would you kiss me again, Ichigo?"

He nodded slowly, and when he gently pressed his lips against hers, Rukia's eyes slipped closed as she reached her small fingers out to touch his cheek. He smiled against her lips and placed his hand on the small of her back as he deepened the kiss, his own eyes closing as Rukia poured all of her emotions, her fear and her hate, her mixed-up feeling, and her love for him into their kiss. When he finally pulled back, Rukia was breathless, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. He smirked down at her, and couldn't help but think that she looked cute when she'd just been kissed.

"That what you had in mind, Rukia?" Ichigo asked, grinning. Rukia nodded, and leaned forward to kiss him again. She loved how his lips moved against hers, how his hand moved from the small of her back to wind in her hair, and how he muttered her name softly like a breath in the wind. His lips moved from hers to her neck, and he gently kissed her soft, exposed skin.

Only a few seconds later, however, Rukia began to giggle quietly. Ichigo looked up, amused and confused, as Rukia collapsed against him, still giggling quietly and softly; he loved the sound, and he suddenly wanted to make her laugh more.

"What _is_ it, Rukia?" Ichigo asked after a few moments.

"That.. t-tickled, Ichigo!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and laid down on the floor beside Rukia. She was laying on top of his quilt, and under hers as he pressed his lips against her neck and blew air onto her soft skin. She began to giggle again, and reached up to wind her fingers in his hair and tug his face away from her neck. He grinned widely and snuggled up to her.

She couldn't fight the smile that spread across her face as he did that. She reached down and took his hand into hers as she pulled the blanket more tightly around them. Ichigo looked up into her eyes in the darkness and kissed her gently on the lips again before whispering,

"If I catch your cold, I'll never kiss you again."

Rukia stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed; he was joking, and she could tell.

"We should sleep now, Rukia," Ichigo said as he let her curl her tiny body into his arms. He held her tightly, hoping that he could offer some warmth.

"Night, Ichi," Rukia whispered, yawning, her eyes closing again as she began to slip into sleep. "Mmm... love ya..."

Ichigo smiled at her words and held her tighter.

**_December 25th, 2:30 PM — 1995, Ichigo: Five-Years-Old_**

_"Mooooommy!"_

_Little Kurosaki Ichigo, grinning and bouncing up and down, ran through the snow in the park. He was there with his mommy for only a few minutes while she ran out to the store to grab some milk; Yuzu and Karin had drank the last of the the day before, and she needed some to cook the huge Christmas Day dinner that they were having._

_"Mommy! Lookie at what I found!" Ichigo called again, pointing happily to the little turtle in the park. Masaki smiled at him and the turtle, and waited patiently while her son found the little reptile a new home out of the snow._

_"All right, Ichigo, now we need to get home."_

_Ichigo grinned, showing off his missing teeth, as he took one of the grocery bags from his mom. _

_"I'm strong, huh?" he asked happily. "I can carry it all by _myself_!"_

_Masaki grinned and laughed as Ichigo concentrated on getting the milk home in one piece. But as he walked inside, he noticed the little girl hiding in the bushes, only a few feet away from his house. Frowning, he gently put the milk on the floor in the kitchen and ran over to the fridge. He opened it, pulled out the piece of cake he'd saved for himself from three days before, and ran outside again._

_"Ichigo!" Masaki yelled, running to the door after her son. She stopped, however, when she saw Ichigo lean down beside the small girl and reach out to hand her the cake._

_Mud was on her face, and there was blood mixed in with it. She looked surprised as Ichigo handed her the cake, but she accepted it with shaking hands. _

_Ichigo stuck out his mitten-clad hand and grinned at the little, black-haired girl. _

_"I'm Ichigo!"_

_"Um... I-I'm Rukia..."_

_He grinned and she took his hand, stood to her feet, and let him lead her inside his house. His mother smiled at her, and she smiled back for the first time since her own mommy had gone away._

_"You're really pretty, Rukia," Ichigo announced, grinning as he reached out to wipe the mud and blood off of her face. "Will you stay with me forever? 'Cause you look sad, and I don't ever want to see you sad again."_

_**December 30th, 7:10 AM **_

Ichigo awoke from the dream both smiling and feeling regret inside. He'd met Rukia before... when she was little, when she was suffering from her father, and he hadn't realized what was happening in her life. He'd met her then, and he hadn't been able to help her. But now... now, he'd never let her get hurt again.

Said raven-haired girl yawned and opened her eyes. She grinned up at him and snuggled closer to him; she was still cold.

As Ichigo looked around, he realized that none of his family was still sleeping; he could hear Yuzu in the kitchen, and his dad in the bathroom. And Karin was on the couch, dressed in two sweaters, two pairs of socks, and thick jeans, reading a book. She still had her quilt wrapped around her, and she grinned when she saw Ichigo awake.

"Well, the storm stopped. Power should be back up soon. I hope. I _think_," she announced.

Ichigo smiled, shook his head, and turned his attention back to Rukia. She was yawning, and her face was flushed. But it wasn't from the cold; as Ichigo reached out and touched his hand to her forehead, he realized that her fever had gone up.

"Rukia, lemme see your cut again."

After determining that her fever wasn't from infection, Ichigo jumped up from his blankets, ran into his room to grab extra sweaters and a pair of his thick socks for Rukia, bolted into the bathroom to grab the thermometer, and ran back downstairs in about half a minute flat. He flew back into the warmth of the quilt, and ordered Rukia to sit up.

"Here, to help keep you warm... "

He pulled on one of his sweaters over her head, messing up her hair in the process. The surprised, tired look on her face made him smile as he pulled her small feet into the socks. After that, he stuck the thermometer in her mouth and grinned.

"All better?"

She nodded, then, on second thought, shook her head.

"Mow."

He assumed her answer to be "no" but he couldn't quite tell with the little thermometer in her mouth. As soon as it beeped, he took it out and sighed.

"Rukia, your fever is up to 104.2."

"Not my fault," she said quietly, staring at her light pink fingers. Ichigo sighed and shook his head.

"I didn't mean that it was your fault, just... geez, why are you so sick? Yesterday morning, you were fine, and now... gah. Just forget it."

Rukia grinned, and grabbed the thicker blanket to take with her when she moved. Ichigo didn't like this. Ichigo was fond of her blanket. He grabbed at it, and even though she was sick, Rukia was just as strong as ever. She pouted and pulled on the blanket, trying to free it from his grasp.

"Ichi... "

Ichigo pouted, too, and, as the king of pouting, won. Rukia caved, and dropped back down beside him.

"Fine. I'll share."

"Goodie. You probably shared your cold with me, too," Ichigo announced, knowing that he was probably going to get sick any day now. But, strangely enough, he wasn't worried enough to care as Rukia settled down beside him again.

Silence fell between them, and, as if forgetting that Karin was in the room, Ichigo turned to Rukia and asked, "Do you remember Christmas twelve years ago? When you were five?"

Rukia shook her head slowly. "None of my Christmas's were very memorable after... after mom. I don't remember many of the days that were supposed to be special. Why twelve years ago, though? Should I remember it...?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I remembered. I dreamed about it, and I remembered. I was five, and after helping a local turtle move, I was walking home with my mom. When we were about to go inside, I saw you nearby. I gave you my cake. And I really wanted that last piece..."

Ichigo smirked as he trailed off, and Rukia was deep in thought. Then, she smiled.

"You said I was pretty, and that you never wanted to see me sad again. That... what was _you_, huh? You asked me to stay with you forever."

Ichigo nodded. "Ah. That was me. But you left, and I don't think I ever saw you again after that... well, until recently. But still, I remember the sad look on your face, and I remember that I didn't want to see anyone so sad ever again. That thought helped me move on from mom, you know. I remembered the sad look on your face, and it had hurt me to see _you_ so hurt. All the time I was grieving over mom, I always wondered if my dad and everyone around me was being hurt by the pain on my face. So, I hid my pain and moved on."

Rukia touched Ichigo's hand and he smiled.

"But nevermind that. If I get to thinking about her... "

He trailed off and Rukia said softly, "Will you tell me about your mom?"

Ichigo was silent for a minute, then nodded. "She was beautiful, kind, and I don't think I ever saw her get mad or cry. She always smiled at me, and she loved me, Yuzu, Karin and dad more than anything in the world. And we all loved her. We were all happy because she was around. She was the center of our universe. I always loved her because she would hold me when I was sad, or she would help me save a worm or a turtle from the cold." Ichigo paused and laughed. "Once, there was a baby frog in the snow, and I was so worried that it would die that I hid it under my shirt and brought it up to my room.

"To this day, I don't know how she found out about it, but later that day, she came up to my room, and talked to me about the frog. I named it Zangetsu. Don't ask why. But we kept it until summer, and I cried when we let him go."

Rukia smiled.

"It sounds like she was wonderful."

"She was," Ichigo said, smiling. "She really was."

"What was your mom like, Rukia-chan?"

Both Ichigo and Rukia were a little surprised at the voice of Karin, but they turned around to face her and Rukia began to speak quietly and slowly.

"She was my whole world. My father hated me, and so did my brother, because he did everything dad did."

Ichigo reached over and took Rukia's hand into his. She smiled at him and continued. "Hisana, my sister, loved my mom, too, and we used to fight over who loved her more. But my mom was the one who loved me the most. When I was a baby, my father tried to hurt me, but my mom never, ever let him. She hid me, and took the beatings for me. It was my fault that mom couldn't have another son, but she never blamed me. When I was little, she'd hold me after dad would get home, and I'd always take comfort in the knowledge that my father could never touch me while my mom was around."

She paused and took in a deep breath.

"But after... after mom passed away, there was no one to protect me. Hisana tried. And I had to wear that dress again... it was pure black, and it always reminded me of mom, and Hisana, who had both died trying to protect me. Then, it was only me, my father and Byakuya-nii-sama."

Suddenly, the story had turned away from her mother, but Rukia didn't care; she just needed to get everything out. Ichigo held her hand tighter, and she somehow drew strength from the fact that he was there, beside her.

"My father would hurt me, and there was never anything I could do. And Nii-sama never helped. He watched... and he hurt me, too. They took everything away from me... my sister, my mom... everything I had. They left me bare and empty."

Rukia cut herself off, and Karin looked down at her.

"I'm... sorry I brought that all up, Rukia-chan." The younger girl bit her lip, not quite knowing what to say.

"No, it's all right. I'm free now. My father and brother can't hurt me anymore. Thank you, Karin. Thank you, Yuzu-chan, Isshin-san." Rukia stared at the floor as she gently took her hand from Ichigo's. Her eyelids were becoming heavy; she felt tired, and sick to her stomach, from both the memories of her father and her cold. She laid her head on Ichigo's lap and breathed in. "Thank you, Ichigo, for saving me, and for loving me..."

_"Will you stay with me forever? 'Cause you look sad, and I don't ever want to see you sad again."_

* * *

_Hmm_... whatcha think? I had a lot of fun with this chapter, even though it was hard to write. And I updated quickly! Very quickly for the length of this chapter. Like... four thousand five hundred words. Anyway...

Please tell me what you think. I know there wasn't a lot of Kai in this chapter, but oh, well!

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**_Sneak preview of Chapter 17!_**

_Ichigo threw the ball of snow at Rukia's back and grinned when she squeaked. She turned around, snowball in hand, and launched it directly at his face. She hit her target, and dissolved into a puddle of laughter at the look on Ichigo's face._

_"Oh, you're gonna pay!" Ichigo yelled, grinning widely as he ran after Rukia. She squeaked again, and began running. Her cheeks were bright pink with the cold and her mitten-clad hands were grabbed by Ichigo as he pulled her close to him. She giggled, trying to calm her breathing._

_Ichigo stared into her eyes, and payback suddenly flew from his mind as he stared at her. She was so beautiful..._

_Rukia smiled a little, but her violet eyes went wide as Ichigo kissed her. They soon slipped shut, and she melted into the kiss._

_Ichigo, however, had different ideas. As Rukia was distracted, he reached over to the windowsill beside the house and scooped up a handful of snow before he shoved it all in Rukia's shirt._

_Her eyes went wide, and Ichigo laughed and laughed as she hopped around in circles, trying in vain to get the snow out of her sweater._

_And he smiled._

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**NOTE: **The preview of this chapter might change. It might end up being in chapter 18. Depends. It is supposed to be in chapter 17, but if the chapter is more than five thousand words, and it's going that way, I'll move this part to chapter 18. Just a heads up!

_**Please Review! **(I'll give you cookies, and update before Thursday! (Unless something comes up!) )_


	17. A New Year

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

_**Concrete Angel — XVII**_

_**January 1st, 12:01 AM, 2008**_

Rukia sighed happily as she stared into the sky. Her small arms were wrapped around her stomach in attempt to keep herself warm in the freezing outside air, and her feet had been shoved into Ichigo's very large, very loose slippers. She smiled as a small drop of snow fell on her nose, but before she could make a move to wipe it off, it was wiped off for her. She looked up in surprise to see Ichigo standing beside her.

He frowned and shrugged off his coat before wrapping it tightly around her shoulders.

"Rukia, you're sick for God's sake. Get inside."

She shook her head and continued to smile. Ichigo was seriously wondering about her sanity when she reached behind him and closed the balcony door. It led into the attic of the Kurosaki Clinic, and the warm air was flowing out of the house.

"Rukia..."

"Stuff it, Ichigo. I want to be out here, and short of throwing me over your shoulder and hauling me inside, I'm not going."

Ichigo sighed.

Rukia was _so_ stubborn sometimes.

"Fine. But if you get even _more_ sick, which would be hard considering that your have a fever of _103.4_, don't blame me!" Ichigo sighed and threw his hands up in the air. Rukia gave him an amused look.

"It's a new year, you know."

"Yup. So?"

Rukia elbowed him in the stomach lightly. "I mean... usually, when the new year comes around, all I do is hide, because my father comes home totally drunk from being at parties all night. I used to hide in my closet and stay up until midnight, wishing and hoping that, when the new year came, I'd wake up somewhere else, somewhere far away. But it never happened. Now, though... now, I wished for something else, and maybe, just maybe, it'll come true."

"Mmm... what did you wish for?"

"If I told you," Rukia said, pausing and grinning. "Then I'd have to kill you."

Ichigo stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed. The snow was falling again, but it was nothing like the huge storm they'd had only two days ago.

Rukia closed her eyes and leaned back on Ichigo's chest. He took her hands into his and rubbed her fingers, hoping to warm them a little; her fingertips were a dark pink color, and Ichigo was sure she was freezing.

When she began to shiver in his arms, however, he said firmly, "Inside. Now."

Rukia turned around to protest, but Ichigo had already opened the balcony door and hauled her into the attic. As she tried to close the door, however, Rukia slipped on the frozen ice right inside the doorway, fell to the floor, and knocked Ichigo down with her. She landed on top of him, and as soon as she had caught her breath, she began to laugh.

"What?" Ichigo asked, scowling as he placed his hand to Rukia's forehead. Wonderful; her fever had gone up again.

"Nothing." Rukia was still smiling as Ichigo stuck out his hand to help her up. She accepted it and once she was standing on two feet again, began to walk out. Ichigo stood there dumbly for a minute, then began to walk after her, intent on shoving medicine down her throat and putting her to bed.

_**January 1st, 12:43 AM**_

Thirty minutes later, Ichigo had dropped off to sleep from exhaustion and Rukia was still awake, sitting on the end of his bed and reading his Manga book.

"Rukia-chan?"

Rukia looked up to see Ichigo's little sister, Yuzu, in the doorway. She was biting her lip and looking at the floor. Rukia quickly put down Ichigo's book and stood to her feet, smoothing out her pure white skirt as she did.

"Are you all right, Yuzu-chan?"

"Yes..." Yuzu paused, then managed a small smile. "I just don't want to be alone. Daddy and Karin are sleeping, but I've been laying awake, and I don't like the dark."

Rukia smiled softly and walked over to Yuzu. "Well, how about we go downstairs, away from all the sleeping people, and make cookies. We can surprise everyone in the morning."

As a girl who loved to bake, Yuzu nodded happily, but the suggestion to bake was only part of her happiness. As they walked down the stairs, Yuzu grabbed Rukia's hand, and said, smiling brightly, "Thanks, Rukia-chan."

Rukia could feel herself grinning again. "You're welcome."

As soon as they got in the kitchen, Yuzu decided that she wanted to make chocolate chip cookies, so Rukia helped her pull everything they would need out of the cupboards.

She, as usual, didn't have a clue as what to do, so she let Yuzu show her how, and soon, they had a large batch of cookie dough made up. Rukia had fun shaping the balls of dough and putting them on the tray, however, and sometime after she'd made the tenth cookie ball, she came up with the idea to shape them into strawberries.

"Rukia-chan, why strawberries?" Yuzu asked, curious.

"Just because," Rukia replied, grinning, as she stuck the batch of cookies into the oven. They both sat down on the floor and waited. The timer ticked down slowly as Yuzu tried to strike up a conversation.

"Do you love Ichi-nii?"

Her question was too straightforward, apparently, and Rukia began to choke on the piece of cookie dough she'd stolen from the bowl. Violet eyes wide, she tried to catch her breath.

"Yes," she finally mumbled quietly, her eyes not meeting those of Ichigo's sister.

"Yay! I always thought so."

Rukia looked up in surprise; she hadn't been expecting such a happy, enthusiastic answer from Yuzu.

"You-you're all right with that? I mean... you..."

Yuzu cut her off by hugging her. "I like you, Rukia-chan. I'm glad that you and Ichi-nii love each other."

Rukia blushed and smiled, saying quietly, "Thanks, Yuzu-chan. That means a lot to me."

"Sooo... when you have kids, could you name one after my mommy?"

Rukia's blush grew more and more with each word that Yuzu spoke. She was stuttering, eyes even wider than before. Yuzu, being the twelve-year-old girl that she was, didn't notice a thing and continued talking.

"I mean... mommy was very important to all of us, but especially Ichi-nii. And I mean... you and Ichi-nii won't have kids for years, but still, it's just a thought. Oh! And Rukia-chan?"

"Uh... y-yeah?" Rukia asked, still blushing and stuttering.

"When you and Ichi-nii get married, can I help plan the wedding? You look very beautiful in white, so everything would be a light peach color or white, and ..."

Yuzu was cut off by the ringing of the timer. She jumped to her feet, still not noticing Rukia's blush, and took the cookies out. She put them on the counter, and then sat back down on the floor beside Rukia while the cookies cooled a little. It was only then that she realized that Rukia was beginning to look like a tomato.

"Rukia-chan, how are you feeling? Is it the fever that's making you so red? Oh! Silly me. I shouldn't have even bothered you. You're sick. You need to be sleeping, not down here making cookies with me..."

Rukia took a deep breath and said quickly, "No, it's all right, Yuzu. I'll be fine. Ichigo shoved some medicine down my throat before he went to sleep, so I'll be fine, really!"

"You sure?"

"Yep," Rukia said, trying to get rid of the blush that had spread across her cheeks.

"Here, let me check your temperature, and then if it's too high, I'll give you some more medicine to make it go down, all right?"

Rukia nodded, and soon after, the thermometer that Yuzu was using beeped. She took it out, frowned, and said slowly, "Rukia-chan, why aren't you getting any better? Your fever is up again! You need to lay down, get lots of sleep and drink plenty of liquids."

Rukia just sighed as Yuzu grabbed the stepping stool and reached into the highest spot in the kitchen, where her dad kept all the medicine. As soon as she got Rukia to take some, after making sure it'd been long enough since her last dose, Yuzu nearly had to haul the older girl into the living room and tape her to the couch. Thankfully, just the _threat_ of taping her was enough to make Rukia lay still.

"Good. Now, stay there, and I'll be back in a few minutes after I put the next batch of cookies in the oven."

Rukia sighed and settled into the couch. Her eyes were just beginning to slip closed when Yuzu bounced back into the room and smiled as she flopped onto a large, fluffy chair. She sunk so far down that it looked as though half of her body had disappeared, and she grinned as she settled in.

"Rukia-chan, what does love feel like?"

"Mmm..." Rukia paused and thought for a minute. "I'm not really too sure... the only people I've ever loved were my mom and my sister, and now Ichigo. I don't know... it's... it's hard to explain."

"Well..." Yuzu began. "I know Ichi-nii loves you a lot, because when you were in a coma, he dropped everything he was doing so he could be near you, even though he didn't know for sure if you would wake up. He was really hurting when he came home from the hospital, you know."

Rukia smiled softly. "I know. I feel bad for making him hurt so much, but in the end, I think it was because he was hurting so much that I remembered everything. I saw how he looked at me, and the pain in his eyes, and I _wanted_ to remember, even though I knew there was pain in my past. I just wanted to know why he loved me so much."

Yuzu bit her lip as she began to ask her next question.

"Hey, Rukia-chan, I heard Ichigo and daddy talking about what had happened to you, you know... with your father and all... how can you smile?"

She shrugged and looked down at her hands, the small smile dropping off her face as her thoughts went back to her father and her family. She sighed and said, "I ... moving past everything wasn't easy, Yuzu. Ichigo helped me a lot, and I think it really was his encouragement and his acceptance of me that helped me the most. I moved on, I started a new life. I don't ever want to go back. I just smile because I've finally been accepted. By you, and by your family. It's a reason to smile, and before, I just didn't have that reason."

Yuzu hopped up from the chair as the cookie timer went off, but before she went into the kitchen, she wrapped her arms around Rukia and gave her a big hug.

"Well, I accepted you because I love you. You're like the big sister I never had."

And with that and a smile, Yuzu hopped off into the kitchen, leaving Rukia a little surprised. But her smile had returned, and that was good enough.

**_January 1st, 6:30 AM_**

Ichigo yawned and forced his eyes open. He stretched his arms above his head, and it was only then that he noticed the little body curled up beside him. He sighed and gave Rukia a half-hearted glare. She didn't move, and apparently, his glare wasn't enough to wake her up.

He sighed again and tried to work around her, but she had her head on his chest and her hands were gripping his shirt. He groaned and rolled his eyes as he finally made his way out of bed, stumbling and cursing. But when he looked back at Rukia and saw her hugging his pillow, he smiled.

"Dope."

She groaned and turned around in bed. Ichigo was sure he'd woken her, and when she blinked sleepily up at him, he gave her a small smile.

"Sorry for wakin' ya."

"Mmm... Ichi, what time izzit?" she asked slowly, her eyes blurry and her face flushed red. Ichigo nearly laughed at the sound of her sleepy voice, but managed to answer her with a semi-straight face.

"It's almost six forty-five. What time did you go to sleep?"

Rukia mumbled something he didn't quite hear and rolled around in his bed before burying her head in his pillow and disappearing under his quilt.

"All right... "

With raised eyebrows, he began to walk out of his room. But then, remembering the flushed look on Rukia's face, he walked back over to her and sat down on the edge of his bed. He placed his hand on her forehead and growled. Her fever hadn't gone up, but it hadn't gone down, either.

Determined to get some better medicine in her than aspirin, he marched downstairs and, when he saw Isshin, said,

"Dad, Rukia needs better medicine. Her fever hasn't gone down and we've been giving her aspirin for half a week now. Why won't she get better?"

Isshin smirked. "Well, maybe it's because she likes to play in the snow."

Ichigo grumbled something about insane-little-midgets-who-liked-to-freeze-their-butts-off and asked his dad if there was anything they could give to her to knock her out, and keep her asleep for a good half a day. Or more.

Isshin seemed to think it over for a minute, then disappeared inside the clinic for a few minutes without so much as uttering a word to Ichigo. When he came back out, he handed Ichigo a small bottle.

"One of those every eight hours. It should knock out her fever and in the process, make her so sleepy she can't keep her eyes open. Just keep an eye on her for nausea and cramps; they're signs of serious side-effects."

Ichigo nodded and bounced back up the stairs while Isshin shook his head and Karin complained about the cook not being awake yet.

**_January 1st, 2:15 PM_**

"What are you doing awake? You're supposed to sleep for another three hours," Ichigo complained, frowning as he saw Rukia making her way sleepily down the stairs. Her black hair had been brushed down quickly, and her violet eyes were sleepy.

"That medicine you gave me made me feel sick," she complained back, yawning deeply. "I woke up."

Ichigo immediately jumped to his feet, his father's words coming back to him.

"But I'm better now," Rukia said, smiling, as she sat down, stealing his warm spot on the couch. "But I wanna go outside—"

"_No_," Ichigo said firmly, glaring at her.

"But—"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Ichigo!"

"No!"

Rukia and Ichigo glared at each other for a second, then Rukia stuck out her bottom lip. Ichigo shook his head.

"Not gonna work. You're sick, and you need to keep your butt _inside_. You're not allowed to go outside, you're not allowed to look outside, you're not allowed to even _think_ about outside!"

She pouted and he glared.

"Pleeeease?"

"No."

Silence fell over them again, and Ichigo sighed.

"Why the hell do you want to go out so badly? Do you _want_ to die?"

Rukia shook her head quickly and explained, "I love outside. The snow is so soft! Like a bunny."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"Can I go outside—"

"No."

"—If I wear a hat, a coat, a scarf, a ..."

Ichigo drowned her out as she rattled on. When she finished, she looked up at him with hopeful eyes, and he just gave her a glare. She sunk into the couch and sighed deeply, as if the world would come to an end if she wasn't allowed. After finally deciding that pouting wasn't going to get her anywhere with Ichigo, she crossed her arms over her chest and folded her feet up under her on the couch. Ichigo noticed she wasn't wearing socks and his frown deepened.

"Rukia..."

"Hmm?"

She looked up at him and gave him the cutest, most innocent look she could manage.

"Why aren't you wearing socks?"

"Because I don't have any."

"Why didn't you borrow from someone else?"

"Because I'm on strike."

"Huh?"

Ichigo was _utterly_ confused.

"I," Rukia began, smiling. "Am not going to wear socks until you let me outside. It's far too stuffy in here, and I want out!"

Ichigo groaned, rolled his eyes, stood up from the couch, and went in search of his dad. When he found him, Isshin was sitting in his office, reading reports and gulping down mass amounts of coffee.

"Dad." Ichigo began with a large, over dramatic sigh. "Rukia is refusing to wear socks until I let her outside. I have a couple options... one, I let her outside. Two, I tape her to the floor and force her to put socks on, or three... um, I know there was one..." Ichigo paused and seemed deep in thought as he leaned against the doorway. Isshin went back to ignoring him until he snapped his fingers and grinned widely, as if he had just found out the meaning of life. "Ah ha! Option three! I just... just..."

Isshin raised an eyebrow.

His son's brain had finally broken.

"Right. I completely ignore her until she freezes her toes off and breaks down. I can last longer than she can. After all, she'll be the one freezing," Ichigo decided, nodding his head. He began to walk out, but the voice of his father stopped him.

"I don't think so."

"Don't think so what?" Ichigo questioned.

"I don't think you can last longer than her." Isshin's voice had a playful edge to it. "You love her, and there's no way you'll let her freeze. And she knows that."

Ichigo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well..."

"Oh, and by the way, Ichigo, I like your second suggestion. But you could always do _much_ more than just force her to put socks on... or you could force her to take her clothes off—"

Isshin was cut off when Ichigo kicked him in the face. Fists clenched, Ichigo walked into the living room, ignoring his whining and bleeding father.

Only to find Rukia pulling on boots.

Her eyes went wide when she saw him and she squeaked before shoving her hat on her head and running out into the snow. Ichigo clenched his fists even tighter, roughly pulled his boots on, and stomped outside after her.

"Rukia!"

She turned around and gave him an innocent look. As she'd said earlier, she was wearing a hat, coat, scarf... the works. But the cold, flushed look on her face made him put his foot down.

"Inside!"

"No! You'll have to make me!" Rukia announced, grinning. He sighed and stomped over to her. His ears were freezing, and he was sure everything inside his nose was frozen solid. If he sneezed, he was sure he'd sneeze out ice cubes.

"Rukia, I'm cold. Get inside already. You're freaking sick! And you _are_ wearing socks!"

Rukia turned around, stuck her tongue out at him, and said, "On strike? About socks? C'mon, what do you take me for, an idiot?"

"Well, as a matter of fact..." Ichigo mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Rukia, however, heard what he'd said and launched a very large, very heavy snowball at him. It hit him directly in his frowning face.

After stuttering for a few minutes and spitting snow out of his mouth, he glared at Rukia, but the glare dropped when he saw her smiling so happily.

So, instead of hitting her over the head and hauling her inside like his head was screaming at him to do, he followed his heart...

...And formed the largest snowball he could manage.

It took Rukia a few seconds to realize what he was doing, but as soon as she did, she took off running.

He was faster than her, however, which was something that she'd failed to notice. He smirked as he threw the ball of snow at Rukia's back and laughed when she squeaked. She turned around, snowball in hand, and launched it directly at his face. She hit her target, and dissolved into a puddle of laughter at the look on Ichigo's face.

"Oh, you're gonna pay!" Ichigo yelled, smirking widely as he ran after Rukia. She squeaked again, and began running away. Her cheeks were bright pink with the cold and her mitten-clad hands were grabbed by Ichigo as he pulled her close to him. She giggled, trying to calm her breathing.

Ichigo stared into her eyes, and payback suddenly flew from his mind as he stared at her. She was so beautiful...

Rukia smiled a little, but her violet eyes went wide as Ichigo kissed her. They soon slipped shut, and she melted into the kiss.

Ichigo, however, had different ideas. As Rukia was distracted, he reached over to the windowsill beside the house and scooped up a handful of snow before he shoved it all in Rukia's shirt.

Her eyes went wide, and Ichigo laughed and laughed as she hopped around in circles, trying in vain to get the snow out of her sweater.

And he smiled.

But as he formed yet another snowball, he ignored the footsteps that seemed to be growing ever closer to him and Rukia.

_"It's just someone walking_ _home,"_ he decided, his attention straying back to his duty to win the snow war.

Nothing to worry about.

But when he turned around to avoid Rukia's deadly snowball, he gasped, and the snow in his gloved hands slowly slipped through his fingers and fell to the ground.

_"There's been a sighting... "_

As Rukia ran by him, Ichigo grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to him.

_"Only three miles from here... "_

Not three miles... not three yard... no, Kuchiki Kai was standing only three feet away from him.

"Rukia, go inside," Ichigo said firmly. She smiled up at him.

"I said you'd have to catch me first, Ichi."

"Rukia, _now_!" Ichigo yelled, his voice rising. It was only then that she noticed the man standing in front of them.

She gasped and hid behind the orange-haired man, her violet eyes wide with fear and her tiny hands shaking.

"Inside, Rukia!" Ichigo yelled, not taking his eyes off of Kai for even the slightest second. Rukia nodded and, giving his hand a tight squeeze, ran into the house. "Call the police!" he called after her.

"Oh, why?" Kai said, smiling widely. "Impossible, anyway. I'm afraid that there's a... _problem _with your power."

Ichigo growled at him. "Get lost, or I swear I'll kill you," he said, his voice dangerously low and full of truth. But Kai didn't even flinch.

"Oh, don't be mean. I just came to give you a message."

Against his better judgment, Ichigo found himself asking, "What message?"

He spit the words from his mouth like poison, and he couldn't help but clench his fists tighter. Kai didn't answer him for a second, and instead, his eyes ventured to Rukia, who was poking her head out of the door. Her fingers gripped the door frame, and her knuckles were white from the pressure.

"Oh, and by the way, your sister is very pretty. But why, oh why, does your father let her go out all alone? You know there are sick men out there just waiting to take a little girl and... touch her. Hurt her, and make her scream." Kai paused and then returned his gaze to Ichigo. His cold eyes held no emotion as he spoke his next words. "Kill Rukia. Kill her, or I will do terrible things to your baby sister... Yuzu was it?"

Ichigo's whole body shook with fear. Fear and anger coursed through him as he stared at the man in front of him.

_Yuzu..._

"She really is beautiful," Kai said, the smile still on his face. "Her little body reminds me of Rukia's."

"You... " Ichigo clenched his fists tightly together again as he tried to form words. Yuzu... Rukia... _no_. "You bastard! You damn _bastard_! Leave my family alone. And that includes Rukia! Just leave us the hell _alone_!" His whole body was shaking, and the anger boiling inside of him was growing with each second that passed.

"Kill Rukia," Kai said, ignoring him. He turned around and began to walk away. "Make sure there's blood, lots of it. Make her bleed... "

As he left, Ichigo turned around to see Rukia still in the doorway. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her face was glistening with sweat. Little hands shook, and as he met her gaze, she whimpered and whispered,

"Please don't kill me, Ichi. _Please_..."

* * *

_Now_, THAT was a cliffhanger, no? Mwahaha! I love being evil. Poor Yuzu... Poor Rukia... Poor Ichigo...**_◦♥◦ ◦♥◦ ◦♥◦_**

**_Sneak preview of Chapter 18!_**

_Ichigo sat down on the floor, his back turned to the door as he tried not to scream. Yuzu... Karin... his father, they were all missing. And Rukia... God, Rukia... the look in her eyes as she begged him again and again not to kill her..._

_He couldn't take it anymore. _

_What should he do? He couldn't hurt Rukia... he couldn't harm a hair on her head, but he couldn't leave Yuzu to be hurt... raped, killed... what could he do?_

_His thoughts were interrupted as Rukia walked into the room. She sat beside him, and with shaking hands, pulled out a knife from behind her back. She bit her lip as she handed it to him._

_"Save Yuzu-chan, I-Ichigo... please. I don't w-want to d-die, but I know it's what you want. K-Kill me. Remember when I t-told you that I wished for something new this y-year? Well... I w-wished that we'd n-never be broken apart, but... kill me, Ichigo. Save Yuzu... kill me."_

_Ichigo looked into her scared eyes, and he knew in that moment that he wouldn't ever, ever hurt her. _

_But in seconds, he found his fingers curling around the knife._

**_◦♥◦ ◦♥◦ ◦♥◦_**

**NOTE: **The plot is finally piecing together. I have to deal with Kai, Byakuya, and ... other things I have plannd (Good things!) before this ends. I'm looking at 26 chapters in total... I think.

**_Please Review!_**


	18. As A Child

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

_**Concrete Angel — XVIII**_

**_January 1st, 3:00 PM_**

"Please don't kill me, Ichi. _Please_..."

Rukia's violet eyes held more fear than he'd ever seen in them before. More than when he'd first found her, more than when her father held a knife over her... and it was because of him.

"Rukia..."

Rukia flinched and bit her lip when Ichigo began to walk closer. She ran inside his house and closed the door behind her, leaving Ichigo standing in the snow as he listened to her hard breathing on the other side of the door.

_"Kill Rukia. Kill her, or I will do terrible things to your baby sister... Yuzu was it?"_

Ichigo took a deep breath, trying to clam the rage building inside of him. Yuzu... not his baby sister... not her. Damn Kai! He would kill that man with his very own hands if it was the last thing he ever did, but there was no way in hell that he would let Rukia or Yuzu get hurt!

As he leaned up against the door, he could hear Rukia on the other side.

"Rukia, let me in," he said softly. She didn't answer, but a few seconds later, the door opened and she stuck her head out the smallest bit.

"Ichigo..."

He looked at her small, shaking body and his anger was boiling again.

"Ichigo, please don't kill me."

With Rukia's desperate pleas ringing in his head, Ichigo ran into the house and searched for Yuzu, just to make sure that Kai wasn't lying. When he couldn't find Karin or his dad, however, he felt all hope that had risen fall hard.

Five minutes later found Ichigo picking up the phone. When Rukia gave him a questioning look, he said softly, "I'm calling the police." She nodded and didn't say another word as Ichigo listened to the phone ring on the other end. Finally, the phone was picked up, and he was speaking to a man who promise to do everything he could.

"But," he said, "Since we know nothing about where Kuchiki-san is, there's not a whole lot we can do. Where was your sister this afternoon? Perhaps someone saw her being kidnapped; anything would help at this point."

"I don't _know_ where she was," Ichigo said, gripping the phone tightly. "I think she ran off without telling us. She probably needed milk or something to make dinner."

"Right. Well, I'll ask around and paste Kuchiki Kai's name and face all over town, but that's about all I can do unless we find out more. Would you like me to send someone over to talk to you?"

"No," Ichigo said, "I told you everything I know."

"Fine. We'll get back to you."

"Wait!" Ichigo yelled. The man on the other end paused. "That's all you can do?"

"Yes sir, I'm afraid so..."

"Well it won't be good enough! Damn it! My sister is missing, she's been kidnapped, and you _know_ that he might do to her, and _that's the best you can do_?!" Ichigo's voice was loud and rough, his words harsh, spoken with no care at all. It was his anger speaking, and no matter what he did, he couldn't calm it.

"I'm sorry sir, I really am."

And with that, the phone on the other end was hung up, leaving Ichigo screaming to an empty kitchen.

"Damn it!" Ichigo roared.

Rukia winced from the other room as he slammed his fist into the wall. She was sitting in the corner of the living room, her hands playing nervously with the strings on her skirt. She kept biting her lip, and she even drew blood every once in a while. She was lost in thought, and when the snow storm began to howl outside again, she didn't even notice.

What could she do?

Was she being selfish? Begging Ichigo not to kill her was asking him to let his sister die.

She didn't want to die; she wanted to spend a lifetime with Ichigo, but... he wouldn't ever be able to love her if she had caused his sister's death, on purpose or not. He'd always look at her with regret, hate, and anger in his eyes, wouldn't he?

But she knew her father; he'd let Yuzu go once he'd gotten what he wanted. He wanted one of two witnesses out of the way. They were the only two people who could testify against him. If Ichigo killed her... she would be gone, and Ichigo would go to jail. But he would live... Yuzu would live... but she wouldn't.

She loved him.

He loved her.

But did he love his sister more? Would he actually hurt _her_ to save Yuzu?

The questions floated around in her head, but she found no answer for them. When she finally couldn't take it any longer, she stood up from her spot and walked shakily into the kitchen. Ichigo was still pacing and he didn't see her as she slipped into the kitchen and open the knife drawer. She walked out as Ichigo finally sat down on the floor, his back turned to the door as he tried not to scream. Yuzu... Karin... his father, they were all missing. And Rukia... God, Rukia... the look in her eyes as she begged him again and again not to kill her...

He couldn't take it anymore.

What should he do? He couldn't hurt Rukia... he couldn't harm a hair on her head, but he couldn't leave Yuzu to be hurt... raped, killed... what could he do?

His thoughts were interrupted as Rukia walked into the room. She sat beside him, and with shaking hands, pulled out a knife from behind her back. She bit her lip as she handed it to him.

"Save Yuzu-chan, I-Ichigo... please. I don't w-want to d-die, but I know it's what you want. K-Kill me. Remember when I t-told you that I wished for something new this y-year? Well... I w-wished that we'd n-never be broken apart, but... kill me, Ichigo. Save Yuzu... kill me."

Ichigo looked into her scared eyes, and he knew in that moment that he wouldn't ever, ever hurt her.

But in seconds, he found his fingers curling around the knife.

Rukia's small body shook with fear, and her violet eyes clenched tightly shut as Ichigo gripped the knife so hard that his knuckles turned white. As he pulled back his hand, Rukia whimpered and bit her lip. Her hands were shaking and her breathing was rough.

"I love you, Ichigo..." she whispered, for what she feared might be the last time. "I love you..."

Then, he threw the knife.

She expected pain. What she felt was something completely different; she felt Ichigo's arms wrapping around her and pulling her close to him. She began to cry, and he just held her. His slow, soft breathing began to calm her down a little as he held her... just held her, and when she finally opened her eyes, she found herself staring into Ichigo's bright, amber ones.

"I could never hurt you, Rukia. God... never."

She laid her head back on his chest, and her eyes were soon drawn to the knife; it was half embedded into the wall, and she shivered as she thought what had almost happened to her.

"Rukia... can I ask you a favor?" Ichigo asked softly. Rukia nodded, her eyes once again moving up to meet his. He spoke softly, carefully. "Help me save Yuzu. Then I want you to run as far away from your father as you possibly can. Take Yuzu with you, and don't look back. I can't promise... I can't promise that I'll be able to control my anger. I might... to be truthful, I might kill _him_."

Rukia's eyes widened, and she shook her head.

"No! Ichigo, don't!"

Ichigo pulled back from her and stared deep into her gaze.

"Rukia! You can't _possibly_ think of defending him!"

Rukia opened her mouth to speak, but Ichigo never gave her the chance.

"He killed your mom, your sister... he _raped_ you, Rukia! He hurt you, and now he's got my little sister. Don't you_ dare_ defend him!"

"I don't want to defend him, Ichigo! I don't! But don't kill him, please! You... you would go to jail, and I'd never be able to hold you again." She bit her lip and her gaze met the floor. "I want you to stay with me. And my daddy... he doesn't deserve to die. No one does."

Ichigo took Rukia gently by the shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Could you ever forgive him?"

Rukia shook her head slowly, biting back the tears that threatened to spill over. She couldn't cry. She wouldn't break her promise again. Finally, she whispered,

"No, I don't think I could. Maybe with time..."

Ichigo shook his head a little. "I promise you that I'll try to control my temper, but I can't promise that I won't lose control. Just help me save Yuzu... _please_!"

Rukia nodded and Ichigo gave her the smallest of smiles.

"Rukia.. you know he's gonna come back, right?" Ichigo asked slowly. Rukia nodded. "Otherwise, how will he know... if I've killed you?"

Biting her lip, she motioned for him to continue, but he didn't utter another word as he lifted his hand to her face. His fingers danced over her soft skin, and at some point, they ran over her lip and moved it from in between; her lip was raw and bloody.

"I'll never hurt you, Rukia."

She managed a small smile.

"I know."

A small smirk came to Ichigo's lips.

"Well then, you're not _quite _as dense as I thought."

After playfully kicking him in the shins, Rukia asked Ichigo to continue what he was saying.

"Your father has to come back. He has to see that I haven't hurt you. He'll be pissed, but I'm sure he'll carry through with his promise to hurt Yuzu. The only way we can find him is to follow him back when that happens. It'll be cutting it close, but... at this point, it's the only way. If he lays one hand on Yuzu, though..." Then, another thought struck him. "What if your freaking brother is working with him? God, no, then that wouldn't work."

Filled with frustration, Ichigo stood to his feet and began to pace. Rukia watched him, then said softly,

"What if you _did_ kill me?"

"Rukia...!"

Rukia cut him off. "No, I mean, what would he do even if you did kill me? Would he let Yuzu go even then...?"

Ichigo sat down on the couch. He took a deep breath in, then dropped his head in his hands. Rukia stood up from her spot on the floor and joined him on the couch. She laid her head on his shoulder and folded her hands in her lap. Her vision was beginning to get blurry, and she was burning up; her fever has risen, she knew it. But she didn't want to tell Ichigo. He'd only worry about her, and he needed to concentrate on saving his sister.

As she took deep breaths and closed her eyes to try and clear her vision, she suddenly remembered something. When she bolted to her feet, her vision nearly gave out on her, and she fell to the floor. Ichigo caught her, and she struggled to her feet again.

"I think I know where he is!"

Ichigo looked at her in surprise.

"I... when I was a child, he would sometimes bring me to the dark room. That was what we called it. It's impossible to get inside of without keys and passwords, and he would... he'd lock me up in it for hours at a time. That _has_ to be where he's keeping Yuzu-chan, because the police have his—our—house under twenty-four hour watch."

She was struggling to force the words out, and her breathing was becoming more and more rapid, but she shoved it all back.

"It's not inside out house. No, it's out in the woods, _behind _the house, deep and far from anything or anyone. I can lead you. I know it's where he has her. It's the only place..."

She trailed off and breathed in deeply. Ichigo would have noticed her struggling for each breath if his mind wasn't racing with anger.

"Well then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go."

He was about to stand and walk out the door when he saw Rukia's red, flushed face.

"Rukia..." His voice was questioning and worried.

"No, let's go. Don't worry about me; I'll be fine. Go. Now."

She pointed at the door as she pulled on her boots, hat and scarf with shaking hands. Ichigo kept looking back at her in concern, but he knew very well he couldn't do this without her help. As they were both about to walk out of the door Ichigo paused and ran into his father's office. He punched the four-diget number into the safe, then reached inside and took out the small, black pistol.

He pulled out the clip to make sure it was loaded, then slammed it back in before pocketing the gun and running out. Rukia was waiting by the door, and as he ran up, she opened it and ran outside into the slow, calm storm.

**_January 1st, 4:12 PM_**

They ran through snow, ice and freezing, splintering wind.

The cold bit at their bodies, but neither of them stopped. Ichigo's eyes stung with the cold, and it was getting harder and harder for Rukia to breathe. But she hid it as best as she could; Ichigo had already noticed that something was wrong with her, and she didn't need to appear any weaker than she already had.

"How much further?" Ichigo asked, fingering the gun in his pocket as he ran. Rukia, who was constantly half a step ahead of him, gasped,

"Not far."

She could barely manage to form the simple words, and Ichigo's worry was increasing with each step they took. He hadn't noticed it much before, but Rukia's fever was probably spiking and she was beginning to stumble as she ran. Frowning, he caught up with her and easily lifted her into his arms.

"Ichigo...!"

She only struggled for a second, then she saw the look on Ichigo's face and calmed down. Her breathing soon became easier, and she began to direct Ichigo where to go once he reached her house.

She had lived in a beautiful place when she was a child, a place where all children wanted to live. There were tall trees all around, and she had a mini-forest for her backyard. The recently fallen snow covered everything, and the sun, which had just come out, was glinting on the fresh, white powder.

"It's deep in the woods. It's been a while... since my father took me there, so—"

"But you _can_ lead me there, right?" Ichigo asked, looking down into her eyes. She nodded and pointed him in the direction that they needed to go.

"Rukia, if this doesn't work... just... I'm sorry I got you into this, and..."

He couldn't find the right words, but Rukia seemed to understand exactly what he was trying to tell her. She smiled up at him.

"I know, Ichigo."

He smiled back at her, but his smile dropped when he saw what lay ahead of him.

It looked like a small house; it was about the size of a child's bedroom, and there were no windows; the walls were black. It was covered in vines and and small trees, and as he got closer, he could see what Rukia meant about no one getting in without keys and passwords; it looked like a freaking safe-house. It had several combination locks on the front door, and several normal locks.

"What the hell is this man hiding in there?" Ichigo asked, grounding his teeth together as he let Rukia stand on her own two feet again.

Rukia shook her head.

"He built it when he first joined the police force. He used it to hide guns, explosives and other things that he didn't want us kids to find, and some stuff that was probably against the law. And when me, or Hisana or Byakuya would make him mad, he'd lock us up in there, too, and if we touched anything inside, he'd add more time to how long we had to stay here."

Ichigo once again fingered the gun in his pocket as he turned to Rukia. He wanted nothing more than to see Kai dead, but he had promised Rukia he would try and keep his temper under control.

"How do we get in?" Ichigo asked, beginning to walk around the small room. Rukia smiled.

"And I can help you there. Before Byakuya-nii-sama started becoming like my father, he was inside that room as much or more than I was. He was a great brother; I was always scared inside of there, and he would hold me. One day, we found a way out, and we also found that it could be used to go in, too."

Ichigo turned to look at her as she bit her lip.

"But it's small. I don't think you could fit through. I'll go alone—"

"No way in hell. What if _he's_ in there?"

"Ichigo..."

"No. We'll find another way in."

"Ichigo! Listen to me! I don't have to go all the way in; I can go in part way, and from there I can see the rest of the room. If he's not inside, I'll open the door and let you in once _I'm _in. Next time I speak," she huffed, putting her hands on her hips, "Shut your yap and let me finish!"

Ichigo glared at her, but then nodded.

"Whatever, baka."

She returned his glare for a second before walking around the building. She dug in the snow for a minute, then nodded for Ichigo to move closer. Her small hands wrapped around what looked like a steering wheel, and she began to turn it. The door creaked loudly, and Ichigo winced, looking around as if someone were sneaking up on them.

"Could you be more quiet?" he hissed.

"Could you stop nagging me?"

He glared and she glared, and when the door opened, Rukia fell back, her eyes wide. After Ichigo helped her up again, she began to climb through the small door. He watched in worry as she moved swiftly through the opening.

When she had adjusted her eyes to the darkness, Rukia looked around and gasped.

"Yuzu!"

There were muffled screamed from the corner as Rukia pulled herself all the way inside. She ran over to Ichigo's little sister and dropped down beside her.

"Oh, God! He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Yuzu shook her head, and as soon as Rukia had finished untying her, she fell into the arms of the older girl. Her voice was scared and she kept stuttering as she cried. "I-I was so s-scared! He... he told me he'd hurt me, a-and that Ichi-n-nii..."

"Speaking of me!" Ichigo yelled form outside. "Let me the hell in, Rukia!"

Rukia couldn't help but smile a little as she ran over to the door and opened it. In seconds, Ichigo was inside, embracing his sister. She hung tightly to him as he asked, "Where are dad and Karin?" he asked urgently, "Does Kai have them, too?"

"N-no. B-Before I left, D-Daddy got a phone call... he and K-Karin left."

Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief as he remembered that Karin's soccer game was being held inside at the school gym today; that was where they were at. They didn't even know Yuzu was gone.

"Yuzu, listen to me," Ichigo said urgently. "I need you to go with Rukia-chan. Get as far away from here as you can, all right?"

Yuzu nodded slowly, wiping tears out of her eyes.

"Don't go home; go to a friend's house. Take care of Rukia; she's sick. And be very careful, Yuzu... I don't know what I'll do if something happens to you again. I was so scared when that bastard said he had you..."

Yuzu hugged her brother tighter, then took the hand that Rukia offered. The older girl looked over at Ichigo and asked slowly,

"Come with us?"

Ichigo shook his head as he stood up, pulling the gun from his pocket. Rukia and Yuzu gasped.

"No. If he get's free again, we'll never see the end of it; he'll come back. He'll hurt you, Rukia, and my family, too. I can't stand that. He... He has to go to jail. I swear, I'll kill him before I let him touch you, but I won't if at all possible. When you get far away from here, call the police and tell them where I'm at. Go. Now."

Rukia nodded, let go of Yuzu's hand, and reached over before wrapping Ichigo in a tight embrace.

"Be careful."

He smiled at both of the girls. "I will." He held Rukia tight for a second, then pulled back as he kissed her on the forehead. "Now, go quickly."

Yuzu grabbed Rukia's hand again as they began running.

He was leaning up against the far wall when, ten minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching. He didn't move, but tightened his grip on the gun. Rukia and Yuzu were far away by now...

"Why, hello."

Ichigo felt his heart race and he forced a smirk as he said, "You'll never lay a hand on my family or Rukia _ever again_."

Kai smirked, too, and pulled out his own gun. Ichigo hid his surprise well as he lifted his gun and aimed it toward Kai's head.

"I promised Rukia I would try not to kill you," Ichigo said slowly. "But that doesn't mean I can't punish you for what you did."

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**_Yes, _**I do enjoy getting flames, apparently. I also love cliffhangers, and going through, this story, **for sure**, is going to be 26 chapters.

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**Sneak preview of Chapter 19!**

_He could hear the sound of police cars, and so could Kai, apparently. Lights flowed through the air, and soon voices began to make their way through the trees. Ichigo smiled._

_"They're coming for you, and you know it. You can't escape. My only regret is that I wasn't able to kill you."_

_Kai shot Ichigo a dirty look, and then began to run. Ichigo's eyes widened a little; the police were still too far away; Kai would get away._

_Desperate not to let him get away free, Ichigo raised his gun, and fired._

**◦♥◦ ◦♥◦ ◦♥◦**

**_NOTE: _**And... how would people feel if some plot-line came and bit me in the butt, and I decided to put a baby in the story? How would people feel if, around the end, Rukia got pregnant? (**Ichi's baby!** Not Kai's or Byakuya's!) And this is NOT a sure plot-line. Only if I get an idea, or if people want me to. Also, if this happened, Rukia would be 18 before she even got pregnant, and Ichigo would be 18 before the kid was born.

**_Please Review!_**


	19. Stained Innocence

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

_**Concrete Angel — XIX**_

**_January 1st, 4:39 PM, 2008_**

"I promised Rukia I would try not to kill you," Ichigo said slowly. "But that doesn't mean I can't punish you for what you did."

Kai began to laugh, and Ichigo just continued to glare at him. The older man laughed and laughed, but Ichigo didn't know what was so funny. Actually, at this point, nothing was funny anymore. Hurting the people he cared about sure as hell wasn't funny.

"Shut the hell up!" Ichigo roared, gripping his gun tightly. His finger squeezed the triger, and a second later, a bullet whizzed past Kai's shoulder. The older man stopped laughing, but the sick, twisted smile on his face didn't drop.

"Stupid kid," Kai muttered. "In the end, I'll kill you _and_ Rukia... little bitch—"

"_Never_ say that word again," Ichigo said firmly, his amber eyes filled with hate for the man standing in front of him. "Never call Rukia that,_ ever_ again."

"Or what?" Kai taunted, smiling and laughing. "Know what? I need to hurry and kill you, 'cause your two little friends got away, and they're going to call the police on me." He paused and gave a dramatic sigh. "You're so mean."

Ichigo ground his teeth together, and he could feel his anger rising to the very surface, ready to explode.

"I'll kill you," he said. "Don't ever touch me, or my family again."

Kai laughed. "You only wish, huh? The only problem is... short of _actually _killing me, there is _no way_ you can stop me."

Ichigo lifted his gun again, pointing it at Kai. His finger twitched on the trigger, and he desperately wanted to pull it, but he'd promised Rukia...

"I can't kill you," he said, lowering the gun just enough so that, it it went off, it would hit Kai in the stomach, and not his heart. "I promised Rukia, and I don't break my promises."

Kai laughed again.

"You either kill me... or you let your family get hurt. I don't care what happens to me, if I'm not dead, I will come back. I _hate_ your father, and I hate you, too."

Trying to control his anger, Ichigo opened his mouth to speak again, but he could hear the sound of police cars in the distance, and so could Kai, apparently. Lights flowed through the air, and soon voices began to make their way through the trees. Ichigo smiled.

"They're coming for you, and you know it. You can't escape. My only regret is that I wasn't able to kill you."

Kai shot Ichigo a dirty look, and then began to run. Ichigo's eyes widened a little; the police were still too far away; Kai would get away.

Desperate not to let him get away free, Ichigo raised his gun, and fired. The bullet completely missed him, and he continued to run. Ichigo, biting his lip and realizing that there was no way that the police would be there in time to catch Kai, took off running.

He had to put that man behind bars, or he would always be running. He'd be looking over his shoulder while he smiled at Rukia, and he'd be constantly worried in the dark as he reassured his sisters that everything would be OK.

_He had to..._

Tree branches his his skin and his blood mixed with the snow that was falling freely on his face. It was cold, but his blood seemed warm, and as he ran his heart pumped faster and faster; he couldn't see Kai anymore. No, no, no! He wouldn't let Kai get away!

Pushing himself harder, Ichigo gripped his gun tightly and closed his eyes as a large tree branch scraped him across his forehead; soon blood was pooling on his eyelashes, dripping down his face and staining his vision. He hastily wiped the blood away... his feet pounded on the cold, soft snow... his amber eyes stared ahead, and as he saw Kai running, he aimed his gun and shot again; he promised Rukia he wouldn't kill him... he'd promised... he'd aimed low, but as Kai slumped to the ground, Ichigo was sure—so sure—that he had broken his promise.

Blood stained the snow, but as Ichigo grew closer, he could see Kai struggling to his feet, his hand pressed tightly to his thigh.

"Stay still, or I'll shoot again!" Ichigo warned loudly, his gun raised.

"Then shoot me," Kai challenged, smiling through his pain.

But as Ichigo saw Kai struggling to take in a breath without pain blinding his vision, he didn't feel one bit sorry for the older man. Ichigo wanted to see him in pain... he wanted to see him suffer, and to bleed. And it scared him. The feelings that made him raise his gun and shoot again as Kai raised his own gun scared him.

Kai screamed out in pain, and as Ichigo remembered Rukia's own cries of pain and sorrow, he just wanted to hear Kai scream again. It was something he'd never felt before. Something totally different...

Kai was hissing in pain now, unable to walk and covered in blood. All of the snow around him had turned bright red, and when Ichigo shot again, more and more blood spread across the pure, white ground, tainting and staining it forever.

And he shot again.

When the anger inside of Ichigo finally seemed to slip away, his eyes widened at the sight before him. Blood was everywhere... covering everything... staining his world, his vision... his life...

He slowly dropped into the snow, realization of what he had done finally hitting him. Kai wasn't dead... he could see him breathing, but he knew that he had hurt him badly. His anger had gotten the better of him, and he had knowingly hurt someone beyond self defense.

The sound of footsteps behind him brought Ichigo back to reality. He turned around, shock still on his face, to see five policemen behind him. All had their guns drawn, and Ichigo let his own slip from his fingers as he looked ahead of him to Kai. The policemen were already on their radios, calling for an ambulance as one of them ran over to Kai. A second policeman sat down beside Ichigo, and the remaining four began to snoop around as all policemen do.

"Son, can you tell me what happened?" the policeman asked, reaching out to put his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo looked up; the man was older; his hair was light grey, and he had a kind, yet stern look, on his his face.

"I... I shot him..."

The man frowned, his lips pressed tightly together.

"I'm need you to tell me everything that happened, all right?"

But try as he might, as Ichigo looked over to Kai, and the blood staining the snow, he couldn't force another word past his lips.

**_January 1st, 9:15 PM_**

Ichigo pulled the brown, rough blanket tighter around his body.

He was sitting in the police station, cold, wet, and still not speaking. He'd been allowed to take a quick shower at the station, and he'd been given a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt; his old, blood-stained clothing had been taken away; probably for evidence.

"All right, son," it was the same man as before that spoke, "I need you to tell me what happened. You were the only one there, and we can't help you if you don't help us. If you don't... you might go to jail, to be perfectly honest."

Ichigo took a deep breath and began to speak.

"I... was outside with my girlfriend, Rukia, and we were just playing when _he_ showed up. Kuchiki Kai... you read his file right?"

The man, Ukitake Juushiro, nodded. Ichigo continued.

"Well... he told me that he'd kidnapped Yuzu, and he would rape and hurt her if I didn't kill Rukia... I didn't know what to do..."

Ichigo looked down at his hands, and for the smallest second, he could almost see the blood staining them again.

"Rukia said she knew where he was holding Yuzu, so we went after him. We found Yuzu; she was alone, and I told Rukia and her to run off and call the police."

"Why did you stay?"

"If he came... I knew I wasn't going to let him get away. I'd rather have killed him than let him get away. He would have come back," Ichigo said firmly, his voice growing more and more confident as he spoke. "He would have come back and hurt us again... he would have hurt Rukia, he might have even killed her..."

Ichigo continued to speak until the whole story was out; he couldn't seem to speak fast enough, he just had to tell someone, to get it all out. He told Ukitake-san everything. Everything he knew, everything he'd done.

"You probably won't go to jail, Ichigo," Ukitake said, sighing as he leaned forward in his seat. "But there might be a trial. Kuchiki-san is alive, and he will be convicted and sentenced as soon as he is well enough to be released from the hospital. There's no way he can get out; he's being charged on rape, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, child abuse, and running from a trial. He'll be spending a _long_ time locked up. Right now, let's worry about _you_."

"I don't know why I did it..." Ichigo said, frowning as he dropped his head in his hands. "I just... I remembered everything he'd done to Rukia... how she'd hurt, and how she had to relive everything that had happened to her when she lost her memories... the pain in her eyes and on her face... and I wanted to hurt him. He was going to kill me, too... he'd raised his gun, so I shot him a second time. But the third shot... the forth..."

He stopped talking, and Ukitake stood up. He placed a hand on Ichigo's shoulder and pulled his chair closer before sitting down once again.

"We talked to both Rukia-san and Yuzu-chan, and the can both back up your story; I know you're telling the truth." He paused and smiled. "I'll let you go home and get some sleep, but you need to report back to the station tomorrow, all right? And don't run away, or if there is a trial, you'll just be in for more trouble."

Ichigo didn't have the strength to argue, so when he was led out to where Rukia, Yuzu, Karin and his dad were sitting and waiting, he just smiled weakly and followed them out to the car. Rukia grabbed his hand, and he smiled down at her, leaning his head on her shoulder as soon as they sat down in the car. He closed his eyes, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**_January 2nd, 3:23 AM_**

Ichigo shot up in bed, his eyes wide and his heart pounding. He looked around quickly, and his memories came flooding back to him.

Yuzu was safe.

Rukia was safe.

Kai was in the hospital under guard.

_And he was home_.

As he ran his hand through his sweaty, orange hair, he noticed the little body curled up on his bed beside him. Raising an eyebrow and squeaking quietly, he moved to the side a little.

He relaxed when he saw it was only Rukia; she'd probably curled up beside him when she realized that he wasn't going to come sleep with her.

He smiled as he reached out and placed his hand on her head, his fingers winding in her hair. She was so small, he sometimes wondered if she was an elf in disguise. He laughed at the thought, then slapped a hand over his mouth; he didn't want to wake Rukia. She was probably having sleeping problems, too.

Sliding back under his quilt, Ichigo looked out of his window to see the snow falling on the ground. His eyes snapped shut when he remembered the blood soaked snow beneath Kai, but he slowly opened them again. When he did, he screeched upon seeing a pair of bright, violet eyes staring at him.

After picking himself up off the floor, he sent Rukia a glare. She was giggling sleepily as she watched him. It was only then, when her cheeks turned light pink, that he realized what he was wearing; blue boxers and no shirt. He blushed, too, scooted under the blanket, and pulled it over his chest all the while pouting at his wall.

"Soooorry," Rukia said, still giggling. Ichigo shifted his pout to her.

"Sure ya are, squirt."

She raised an eyebrow at him, her laughing stopping. "Squirt?"

"Yeah, I figured, you know, since you're a midget and all—"

Before he knew it, Rukia had kicked him off the bed again. He landed flat on his butt, his amber eyes wide.

"Why you—"

"Well, you're a _strawberry_," Rukia said, laughing again as she reached down and kissed him on the forehead. He smiled; he missed this. With Kai, and everything that had happened, he really missed these moments with Rukia.

When he climbed back onto the bed with her, he wrapped his arms around her and she laid her head on his bare chest, and a small blush scattered on her cheeks.

After a moment of silence, Rukia spoke. Her voice was soft and quiet. "Thanks, Ichi."

"For what?"

His voice was slightly muffled by her hair, but she heard him perfectly.

"For not killing him. I know he's done horrible things ... but no one deserves to die. Thank you."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

He closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he was asleep. But Rukia stayed awake for a while longer, her thoughts running over her life, and over the past few weeks she'd spent with Ichigo.

And she could honestly say that those weeks were the best in her life.

**_January 2nd, 8:30 AM_**

"Ichigo?"

"Hmm?"

"You do realize that we haven't been in school for... oh, I dunno... _weeks_?"

"Yup. So?"

Rukia growled, stepped on his foot, and began to calmly explain that they were going to be in deep crap unless they had a good reason. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her.

"Lemme see. Being stabbed, being in a coma, being unconscious for two weeks, remembering everything that's ever happened to you, and being threatened by a psycho maniac don't count, I suppose?"

Rukia growled at him and walked ahead of him. He sighed.

"PMS?" he guessed quietly, not wanting Rukia to hear. But, like all girls who were mad at their boyfriends, she did.

And he had an impressive limp when he walked into class.

Rukia grinned happily as Ichigo walked up to the front desk and dropped the school excuse notes from both doctors, the police and his father. The teacher raised an eyebrow as she read them, and then said,

"Well, Kuchiki-san, Kurosaki-kun, I must say that we were beginning to wonder if you two had eloped and were never coming back—"

Ichigo and Rukia blushed a dark, deep red at this, but the teacher went on without noticing.

"—but I guess you're excused. I'll send these notes to the principal and have him mark on your record that you had a reason to be absent so long. Well... several reasons..."

Soon, class had begun and Ichigo barely had time to see Rukia during breaks, much less ask her how she was doing. He couldn't help but remember what had happened the last time she was in school. That was when... it was before everything had started happening. It was when she left him to go back to Kai.

Clenching his fists, Ichigo reached out and took Rukia's small, thin wrist into his hand, effectively stopping her. She turned around to look at him, but she didn't have a moment to think as he clenched her tightly in his arms. She smiled and laid her head against his chest; they were alone outside because it was lunchtime. She knew that Ichigo would never hold her this tightly in public, but since they were alone...

She snuggled closer to him and sighed happily.

She'd forgotten what it felt like to be held so lovingly. Her mom was the only one that had ever held her that way before.

He pulled back.

"You doing all right?"

She nodded and smiled.

"I'm doing great, knowing that my father can't hurt me. But... um... it's cold out here, can we go inside?"

Ichigo nodded, and as they began to walk back inside the school building, Ichigo shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around Rukia's shoulders. She snuggled into it, breathing in deeply of his scent. She loved how he smelled.

As they walked through the school doors, Rukia stopped and bit her lip. Ichigo noticed, raised an eyebrow, and shoved his hands in his pockets as he turned around to look at her.

"Rukia?"

"Sorry for earlier," she muttered. "I was kinda moody..."

"Kinda?" Ichigo asked, grinning. Rukia knew by the grin that all was forgiven. So, instead of answering his jab, she stuck her tongue out at him and walked foward. He shook his head and followed behind her.

Soon they were in line to grab some lunch, because Yuzu hadn't been able to make them anything that morning. Rukia went first, and she didn't like the way her mashed potatoes looked—slightly on the light green side—so she tossed them over her shoulder, trying to get them in the trashcan. However, she failed to notice that Ichigo was standing right behind her.

She burst out laughing, and several of the kids turned to look at her.

As Ichigo began to dig mashed potatoes out of his ears and nose, Rukia's laugh grew louder.

Ichigo couldn't help but smile through the green-mashed-potato-mess on his face.

He loved seeing Rukia smile...

**_January 13th, 2:12 PM_**

"The jury of twelve has found Kuchiki Kai guilty of rape, child abuse, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and assault. To pay for his crimes, Kuchiki Kai will be sentenced to life in prison, with no bail allowed. He will serve at least a total of one hundred hours of community service, and his sentence will be, by no means, shortened. This court is dismissed."

Rukia let out a huge sight of relief and slumped against Ichigo as Kai was led from the court room to a police car. He would be locked up for a long, long time. She'd never have to worry again.

"We made it," Ichigo said, smiling as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. She nodded and smiled.

Ichigo hadn't been charged with attempted murder on the decision that shooting Kai had been self defense. He'd seen a judge only days before, and had been cleared in a matter of hours. Kai's trial had been fairly quick, as well. It had taken a total of seventeen hours split up in several days.

"Rukia?"

"Hmm?" she muttered sleepily. She hadn't been sleeping well since the trial had begun.

Ichigo shook his head; now wasn't the time to say it. "Nevermind. C'mon, dad, Yuzu and Kairn are waiting for us."

As he stood up, he reached over and took her hand into his. She smiled and they walked out. She'd had to testify against her father, and it had been hard on her. But it was all over now... she was free.

They climbed into the car, and Rukia laid her head on Ichigo's lap. In minutes, she was asleep. Yuzu smiled at her from her spot in the car beside her brother.

"Rukia-chan's birthday is tomorrow! Ichi-nii, can I make her a cake? Can we have a big party? Please? I want to make her a _huge_ white cake with flowers and pretty frosting, oh! And we can have her friends over. Because I bet she'd never had a very good birthday party before. I want to buy her something for her birthday, too. I saw this necklace at the store. She saw it, too, and she commented that she thought it was very pretty when I asked her about it. I bet I could buy it with my allowance. And it'll make her happy after these past few days, so we can—"

"All right!"

Yuzu stopped talking immediately and stared at her brother. Ichigo smiled and poked his sister playfully in the shoulder.

"You talk lots, Yuzu. Sure. We'll have a big party for her, as long as goat face will agree."

Ichigo looked up at his father in the front seat questioningly.

"Sure! And I'll help cook!"

"No, you won't!" Yuzu protested, wincing as she thought of the last time her father had 'helped' cook. He'd blown up half of the kitchen, and Yuzu had to take up cooking in the living room while said kitchen was repaired.

Ichigo laughed quietly as Yuzu and Isshin started arguing, and then Karin joined in because Isshin was paying no attention at all to the road. The younger Kurosaki boy settled back into his seat and began to run his fingers gently through Rukia's hair. It was so soft; he loved the feel of the silky strands falling on his skin.

Smiling, he settled back into his seat for the long trip home. Rukia's warm body pressed into his, and Yuzu, Karin and Isshin's argument, which still hadn't ended, reassured him that everyone he loved... was still alive.

* * *

_YAY!_ No cliffhanger! But I hope that won't stop people from reviewing. I like to know what people think. Soo... whatcha think?

**◦♥◦ ◦♥◦ ◦♥◦**

**Sneak preview of Chapter 20!**

_Rukia's bright, violet eyes were slightly glazed as she grabbed onto Ichigo's arms and hauled him away from the party. Said orange-haired teen had been glaring at the punch bowl because someone had spiked the punch, and he'd drunk a large amount of it. Of course, his portion was _nothing_ like Rukia's had been._

_"Hey Ichi!" Rukia said happily, grinning widely as she wobbled on her feet while walking up the stairs._

_"Rukia, you're drunk," Ichigo announced. His own head was buzzing as Rukia pulled him inside his room and locked the door. __"Umm... Rukia?"_

_She pushed him up against the wall and kissed him, and surprised wasn't enough to describe the look on his face. Sure, she'd kissed him before, but nothing like this..._

_The kiss heated up in seconds, and before he knew what he was doing, Ichigo pushed Rukia onto the bed and tore his mouth from hers._

_"Rukia... I don't think..."_

_"Ichigo... make love to me..."_

_His mind was fuzzy from the spiked punch, though, and he wasn't quite sure what he didn't think._

_So he just kissed her._

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**NOTE:** About the preview: I _realize_ that Rukia probably isn't ready for_ that,_ but she's drunk... and believe me, it can do lots to your mind. Ouch. Never did _that_ when I was drunk, but I did do something pretty stupid... which we _will not_ get into. Oh! And slow updates from now on! I told some people I wouldn't update before Saturday, but I had more time to write then I thought. But my wedding is coming up! Yay! So... slow updates. I can't wait to see people's reaction to the next chapter! _(Cough)_ And the preview _(Cough)_

**EDIT: **I changed Kai's sentence to life in prison instead of 30 years.

**_Please Review!_**


	20. Lost Inside of You

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing! (FYI: She didn't beta the last scene! Be wanred; it's unbeta'd, but I think I edited it all right.)

* * *

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

_**Concrete Angel — XX**_

**_January 14th, 7:14 AM_**

Rukia yawned deeply, opening her eyes then shutting them quickly against the bright light invading her vision. She tried blinking rapidly to get her eyes used to the light, but in the end decided that jumping back under the large, thick quilt would solve the problem much, much faster. And she didn't plan on moving for a while.

But, apparently, Ichigo had different ideas.

_Ichigo_... oh! Right. She'd crawled into bed with him last night because she was afraid of the snowstorm that had started raging as soon as they stepped inside the house.

"Rukia... move it," the orange-haired teen mumbled, trying to crawl out of bed but failing because her body was in the way. She pouted, but moved out of his way, anyway, and curled up at the bottom of the bed, his quilt wrapped tightly around her as he fumbled with the heater, which had turned off when the power had gone off during the night.

"Ichigo! The power's back," Rukia said happily, yawning as she stated the obvious. He sent her an amused look and shook his head before stumbling into the bathroom. The door slammed loudly, and Rukia sighed as she looked around his room.

The alarm clock blinked in bright red colors. It was seven twenty-one, which meant that they had an hour to get to school—

"No school today!" Ichigo shouted from in the bathroom, as if he had read her thoughts. "Power at the school is still out, so we won't be going."

"How did you—"

"Flip on the radio; it says so. At least the one in here does..."

Rukia frowned and bit her lip as she flipped the alarm/radio onto 'on'. The announcer was, indeed, rattling on and on about the schools that had been closed due to the snow storm.

Ten minutes later, when the thought of moving from Ichigo's nice, warm bed finally crossed her sleepy mind, Ichigo walked out of the bathroom.

He smiled at her, kissing her on the cheek before falling back onto his bed.

"Oh, and Rukia?"

"Hmm?"

She turned to look at him, a small smile coming to her face.

"Happy birthday."

Her smile grew even bigger as she picked herself out of bed.

"Thanks, Ichigo."

**_January 14th, 11: 20 AM_**

**Name:** Kurosaki Ichigo

**Mission:** To keep Rukia away from the house while his sisters set up for the party.

**Status:** Failing. _Badly_.

Sighing deeply, Ichigo grabbed onto Rukia's scarf and pulled her along. Violet eyes wide, she gasped and sputtered.

"Ichigo! I can't breathe!"

"Well, you're speaking, so you _can_, can't you?"

"Not... much."

"Not much is enough."

She wasn't coming on her own, so he would _make _her come. He had just gotten her out of the house an hour earlier, and she wanted to go back. Already. Even though it was only ten degrees below zero, with a wind chill of even less. Wimp.

"Ichigo! I'm cold! I'm tired, my feet hurt, I want to go hom—"

Ichigo slapped his hand over Rukia's mouth and smirked.

"One more word, just _one_ more..."

"Ichigo!"

"No."

She pouted as she followed after him. He was taking her out to lunch, he'd said, but honestly, she just wanted to sit in front of a heater for the rest of the day.

"Ah, we're here."

As soon as Rukia stepped inside of the restaurant, she changed her mind. It was _warm_.

Ichigo smiled, took her arm, and led her to a small table. It wasn't fancy, but the food from the kitchen smelled wonderful, and, as Ichigo pointed out, the food was _hot_, so she found nothing to complain about.

When the waitresses came up to their table, she kindly asked them what they wanted to drink, and Ichigo and Rukia both said 'hot cocoa' at the same moment. They laughed, and Rukia was beginning to think that maybe this birthday wouldn't be so bad as she thought it would be when one of the waitresses walked by, slipped on the puddle Ichigo's shoes had made, and spilled sticky, gooey soda all over the small, ravin-haired girl.

Ichigo burst out laughing as Rukia squeaked loudly. The young woman was blushing, and saying again and again how she was so sorry, and she would pay for any damage to Rukia's clothing, and oh! she could have her hot cocoa for free, as an extra apology, and...

It was about there that Ichigo gave up trying to listen to the woman prattle on. Instead, he leaned over, taking his napkin into his hand, and began to wipe soda off of Rukia's face. Violet eyes opened a little wider at the sudden action, but she let him clean her off a little bit, then he shrugged off his coat and let her have his, putting her own soaked one behind them.

"You OK?" he asked her. Rukia nodded, smiling happily.

"A little sticky, but I'll be fine."

Ichigo grinned. "Good, because I don't feel like going all the way back home now, but you'll have to change before the par-"

Ichigo stopped talking and slapped a hand over his mouth. Rukia questioned him about what he was saying, but he shrugged it off, all the while mentally slapping himself. Hard.

"It's nothing. Anyway! The cocoa is here. Let's enjoy, and do you want something to eat?"

By the fake smile and the cheery attitude, Rukia knew that Ichigo was keeping something from her. But if he wanted it to be a secret, she'd let him keep it to himself.

Because she trusted him.

**_January 14th, 12:00 PM_**

"Rukia! Get back here, and put this coat on! You'll catch a cold, and I'll have to take care of you!"

Ichigo was growling, Rukia was laughing and sticking her tongue out at him, and the little dog that had just got done peeing all over the orange-haired teen's shoes was whimpering from where Ichigo had kicked him. Ichigo was not having a good day. Rukia was enjoying it all too much, and poor, poor Ichigo was ready to strangle someone. But he couldn't strangle the midget. He had to get her home in one piece, without frostbite and/or missing body parts.

"Rukia!"

She laughed and skipped up to him, where he took her thin arms and shoved them into the sleeves of his coat. She accepted it, and pressed her body into his side in attempt to fight off the cold.

"Ichi, I'm freezing."

Ichigo _glared_.

"Well, maybe if _someone_ would have gotten back here and put the coat on when I told her to _ten minutes_ ago, she wouldn't be cold!"

Rukia smiled, but then frowned and moved away from him a little. He sighed, reached out, and put his arm around her shoulders. He blushed a little, and Rukia's violet eyes widened a little as a small blush scattered across her cheeks.

"Ichigo...?"

"Just shut up and let me keep my arm there. I'm not mad, ya know. I just don't like the fact that I've nearly lost you before, and you're walking around without a coat in the freezing cold."

Rukia looked a little guilty as she bit her lip and twirled her hair in between her fingers. She said softly and quietly, "Sorry, Ichigo..."

He smiled.

"Yeah. Whatever. It's OK now. C'mon, let's hurry up and go home!"

Rukia knew she was forgiven as Ichigo reached down, pecked her on the lips, and pulled her closer to him. They were given several knowing looks from people on the street, but both teens ignored them. In their world, they were the only ones who existed.

**_January 14th, 12:15 PM_**

Ichigo was grinning from ear to ear as they walked up to the house. It was after noon, so he knew he was a little late; his family had said to have Rukia back by twelve, but oh well. They'd live even if they _did _have to hide for fifteen extra minutes.

Sticking his key in the lock and making sure to whine and grumble about his family not telling him that they were going out, Ichigo put on a frown. Rukia didn't have a clue as to what was going on. She was tapping her foot on the ground and shivering as Ichigo struggled with the lock. Finally, it popped open and he took her hand before hauling her inside.

As soon as they walked into the living room, Rukia screeched and hid behind Ichigo when many, many people jumped out from behind couches, walls, tables and randomly placed piles of gifts to scream "Happy Birthday, Rukia!"

Ichigo laughed. "C'mon, Rukia! They don't bite."

She slowly moved out from behind her boyfriend and a smile soon spread across her face. As she finally dropped Ichigo's hand, Yuzu ran up to her and hugged her tightly.

"Happy eighteenth birthday, Rukia!"

As she looked around at all the decorations, the gifts, the smiling people that could truthfully say that they loved her, and back at Ichigo who was giving her the most tender smile he'd ever given her, a small tear slipped, unnoticed, across her cheek.

Ichigo leaned down, took her hand, and kissed her tears away.

"Happy birthday, Rukia."

His voice was soft and quiet, and his hot breath hit her ear as she spoke. She smiled, hugged him, and then turned to face the crowd.

Soon, her eyes were wandering over said crowd; Isshin, Yuzu and Karin were the people she knew right away, then there was the young nurse, Ishida Orihime, whom both she and Ichigo had gotten to know rather well. She had her husband and two small children with her. The next person she saw made her gasp slightly.

"I-Ichigo... how did...?"

Her voice trailed off and Ichigo smirked smugly, then his smile fell.

"I uh... found your booklet..."

Rukia immediately knew which one he was talking about. It was the 'friends' booklet she had made at school when she was ten.

The young man, who was smiling slightly, walked over to Rukia and ruffled her hair.

"Still the same little girl I always knew. But you... grew."

He was smiling brightly, and Rukia hugged him tightly.

"R-Renji!"

He pulled back and grinned.

"Oh! And I want you to meet some people!" he exclaimed, gently tugging the arm of a young woman. In her arms was a small boy. Renji grinned as he said, "This is my wife, Tatsuki, and our son, Kaien."

The little boy, who couldn't have been older than two, crossed his arms and pouted. Rukia blinked at him a few times. His eyes were a bright green color and his hair was a spiky black.

"So cuuute!"

She clapped her hands together and her eyes closed as she smiled.

"No cute!" Kaien explained. "I Kai!"

Rukia winced and backed up a little. Ichigo placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned back around. She said slowly, "Can I just call you Kaien?"

"Uh huh!"

He was grinning, and he held his arms out to Rukia, signaling that he wanted to be held by her. She took him and he buried his face in her shoulder, kicking his little legs back and forth. Ichigo smiled at the two, and when Kaien noticed this, he stuck his tongue out at the orange-haired teen.

"I no likes you!" he exclaimed. Ichigo raised an eyebrow as Kaien stuck out his little tongue. Thankfully, as Ichigo clenched his fists a little, the boy's father stepped in.

"Woah! Kaien, be a good boy, K? The meanie man was the guy who invited you here."

Kaien sighed, rolled his little eyes and kissed Rukia on the cheek before holding his arms back out to his father. Renji smiled at Rukia again, then turned his attention back to his son, who had started to whine about something.

"Soo... " Ichigo began. Rukia cut him off, saying,

"Ooh! Look at all the presents! Can I open them?"

She was nearly jumping up and down with excitement as Isshin, Karin and a few other people she didn't quite know came up to her. One of the boys hugged her tightly.

"Rukia-chaaaan! Be my girlfriend!"

Rukia blushed, shook her head, forgot all about her presents, and hid behind Ichigo while said orange-haired teen hit the over-excited boy over the head.

"Keigo, shut up."

Once Keigo was off whining in the corner, Ichigo took Rukia's hand and hauled her over to the table, which had a huge, pink cake on it. Rukia's eyes bugged out as she stared at it, mouth open. She reached out to poke it, as if not quite believing that it was real.

"Ichigo..."

He grinned.

"C'mon, Rukia! Get into it!"

The next few minutes were filled with laughter from everyone in the room as Isshin 'accidentally' stuck his foot out in front of Rukia and made her launch into the cake. Rukia pouted and Ichigo tried not to laugh as he helped pick cake frosting out of her ears. After that, making sure to avoid the slightly squished part, Ichigo served the cake, and when he handed Kaien a piece, the little boy decided that it would look prettier on Ichigo's face instead of on his plate.

That caused a cake fight.

Rukia won.

And, while everyone was too busy to notice, Keigo, grinning widely, popped open a bottle and began to pour it into the punch.

**_January 14th, 1:30 PM_**

"Can I open them _now_?"

"Just a minute, Rukia."

"_Please_ Ichigo?"

"Just a sec, Rukia."

"How about now?"

"_NO_, Rukia."

He was growling and she was pouting as she stared at the large pile of presents. The last hour had been filled with fun, laughter, and catching up with old friends, and now, Rukia was more than ready to open her presents.

"Now?"

"No."

"Ichigo!"

He smirked, and shoved another cup of punch in her hands to shut her up; she loved the strawberry flavor and shoved aside the thought of presents as she sipped at the precious beverage.

He raised an eyebrow in amusement as all of her attention was turned on the punch. However, it only lasted a few seconds, then she went back to bugging him.

"Ichigo! I've never had this many presents in my _life... _there's so many. Where did they all come from? Is one of them from you? Can I open them _now_?"

Ichigo gave a great, huge sigh and gave in.

"_Fine_."

After everyone was gathered together again, Rukia plopped down in front of the gift pile. She began to slowly open them, staring at each gift as if it were the most beautiful thing in the world. She got a watch, a few pairs of Jeans and skirts, a camera from Renji, a magazine with nude people on it from Keigo—which Ichigo stole from Rukia's hands and ripped to pieces the second he saw it—a purse, a pair of beautiful shoes from Tatsuki, and a hand-drawn picture from Kaien, along with a sucker.

Rukia smiled at the little child's gift, but she didn't dwell on it too long.

From Karin, she got a soccer ball, from Isshin a pink baby's outfit—Which Ichigo was _sure_ screamed "Give me a grandchild!"—and from Yuzu, she got a pair of ice skates. There were two presents left, but she still didn't see one from Ichigo. She sighed, shrugged, and took one of the remaining gifts into her hands.

From the Ishida family, she got a huge make-up kit, which she was sure Orihime and Rika had picked out, and finally, from one of the girls she went to school with, Ryo, she got a pair of running shoes.

"Ichigo, did you get me something?" Rukia grinned up at him from beside the pile of presents she had received. Everything she had gotten was great, but she wanted to see Ichigo's gift.

"What if I didn't get you anything?" Ichigo teased.

"I saw you hiding it this morning," Rukia announced.

Ichigo grumbled about annoying, prying little midgets but reached into his jacket pocket and handed Rukia a small box. He was blushing a little as she took it from his hands, and everyone was grouped up behind Rukia, eagerly waiting to see what it was. Ichigo would have laughed at the huge amount of people behind his girlfriend, but he was more focused on her than anything.

Rukia's slim fingers opened the box, and she gasped a little when she saw what was inside. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. The necklace gently flowed around her fingers as she held it in her palm. The chain was a light silver color, and the beautiful aquamarine stones falling in little teardrops made it seem like it was rain falling from the chain.

Ichigo smiled softly at her and reached out, taking it into his own hand and reaching behind her neck. He quickly clasped it, then let it gently glide on Rukia's skin as she reached up to finger it.

"Ichigo..." she began quietly.

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"...Thank you."

**_May 10th, 2001 — 2:30 PM — Flashback_**

_Ten-year-old Rukia bit her lip, trying not to cry as she squeezed glue onto the cardboard cover she'd chosen. It was bright pink with really pretty flowers. But she didn't care; she didn't have barely anything to go inside. All of the other girls were laughing and writing. Name after name was going in each book._

_It was a booklet to list all of your friends. _

_But Rukia only had one. With a pretty purple color, she wrote the one name in her notebook, then handed it to the teacher. _

_"Rukia-chan, there's only one name in here!" she exclaimed playfully. "Surely you have more friends?"_

_Rukia shuffled her feet on the ground and hung her head._

_"No, teacher. My sister was my friend, and so was mommy, but there never comin' back. Daddy made it so they wouldn't. I only have one friend."_

_She was beginning to cry, so the teacher reached down and pulled her into a hug. Because she was being embraced for the first time after being completely ignored for five years, Rukia only cried harder. _

_But none of the other girls noticed._

_They were too busy writing name after name in their books. _

_Rukia clenched her booklet in her hand tightly, and wished she could write more names down..._

_...but she couldn't._

**_January 14th, 9:00 PM — Present Time_**

Rukia's bright, violet eyes were slightly glazed as she grabbed onto Ichigo's arms and hauled him away from the party. Said orange-haired teen had been glaring at the punch bowl because _someone_ had spiked the punch, and he'd drunk a large amount of it. Of course, his portion was _nothing_ like Rukia's had been.

"Hey, Ichi!" Rukia said happily, grinning widely as she wobbled on her feet while walking up the stairs.

"Rukia, you're drunk," Ichigo announced. His own head was buzzing as Rukia pulled him inside his room and locked the door. "Umm... Rukia?"

She pushed him up against the wall and kissed him, and surprised wasn't enough to describe the look on his face. Sure, she'd kissed him before, but nothing like this...

The kiss heated up in seconds, and before he knew what he was doing, Ichigo pushed Rukia onto the bed and tore his mouth from hers.

"Rukia... I don't think..."

"Ichigo... make love to me..."

His mind was fuzzy from the spiked punch, though, and he wasn't quite sure what he didn't think.

So he just kissed her. Her mouth was hot on his, and he couldn't get enough of her. His hands were shaking as he reached down and brushed the button on her skirt. In seconds, the button had been undone and her skirt was pushed to the end of the bed, and if kissing her hadn't felt so damn good, so right, he would have laughed at the lacy, black chappy underwear she was currently wearing.

"Ichi..."

Her moans reached his ears as his fingers brushed her body gently, and he could feel himself smiling. He knew he needed to stop himself, but his body wasn't listening to his mind, and as his fingers hooked around the bottom of her panties and pulled them off, all coherent thoughts left.

Soon, his jeans and shirt, and Rukia's shirt, too, had joined the pile of clothing at the bottom of the bed. His girlfriend was completely naked beneath him, and as he gently bit her neck, leaving his mark, he reached down and let his fingers brush over her.

She cried out, her body arching up against his, and he knew he was lost. He'd lost himself in her, and even if he was never found again, he didn't care.

* * *

_Wow_. This chapter took **forever** to get up. Sorry! Oh, and I got married! YAY!

Anywho, please, please leave your thoughts! I'm not quite sure what to make of this chapter...

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**Sneak preview of Chapter 21!**

_She was crying. The blanket was pulled tightly around her small body, and she was crying softly and quietly. He just sat on the other end of the bed, his own body covered with his sheet. He didn't know what to do; he barely even remembered what had happened._

_"Rukia..."_

_He reached out to touch her, but she flinched and moved away._

_"Don't t-touch me, please."_

_For once, he didn't listen to her, and he took her shaking body into his arms. All of her pain came flooding out, and she allowed him to hold her, even though she wanted to get as far away from him as she could. She wanted to get away..._

_"Ichigo..." she sobbed quietly, "I'm s-sorry..."_

_He somehow found and forced a small smile._

_"Shh... there's nothing to be sorry for, Rukia. I love you, and _I'm_ sorry if I hurt you, but please... don't blame yourself. Neither of us knew quite what we were doing, but I do know we'll get through it. Please... stop crying."_

_She nodded and tried to smile, but her tears wouldn't stop._

_"Sorry, Ichigo..."_

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**_Please Review!_**


	21. Forgiveness

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

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_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

* * *

**Concrete Angel — Ch. XXI**

**_January 29th, 2:00 PM_**

Ichigo sighed deeply and kicked a rock that sat in front of him. It flew across the park and hit into the river beside a small child. The little girl squeaked and ran away, and Ichigo only frowned more.

Nothing was going right. Not in his life, at least. Sure, Kai was behind bars and no one had heard anything whatsoever on Byakuya in the past three weeks... but his life was hell. His personal life with said girlfriend was... complicated.

_Rukia_... 

He was thinking about her again. How she had looked so broken when they had woken up that morning, how her pain seemed to shine through. She acted like everything was all right, but he knew it wasn't, at least not for her.

_She was crying. The blanket was pulled tightly around her small body, and she was crying softly and quietly. He just sat on the other end of the bed, his own body covered with his sheet. He didn't know what to do; he barely even remembered what had happened._

_"Rukia..."_

_He reached out to touch her, but she flinched and moved away._

_"Don't t-touch me, please."_

_For once, he didn't listen to her, and he took her shaking body into his arms. All of her pain came flooding out, and she allowed him to hold her, even though she wanted to get as far away from him as she could. She wanted to get away..._

_"Ichigo..." she sobbed quietly, "I'm s-sorry..."_

_He somehow found and forced a small smile._

_"Shh... there's nothing to be sorry for, Rukia. I love you, and _I'm_ sorry fi I hurt you, but please... don't blame yourself. Neither of us knew quite what we were doing, but I do know we'll get through it. Please... stop crying."_

_She nodded and tried to smile, but her tears wouldn't stop._

_"Sorry, Ichigo..."_

_He shook his head, and just held her tighter. As her blanket began to slip down her shoulders, he reached out, without looking, and pulled it back up before tucking it under her chin._

_His actions made her feel a little more safe; he cared more about her feelings than her body._

_"Ichigo... will you forgive me?"_

_He laughed and forced a small smile._

_"There's nothing to forgive."_

He kicked another rock, and didn't even care when it hit into a car. Had he ruined his relationship with Rukia altogether? Did she hate him now?

He didn't know. He just didn't know.

It'd been over two weeks now, and she was still partially avoiding him. She slept in her own bed, and never even came into his room. She'd greet him with a smile and a kiss every morning, but she never climbed into his bed in the middle of the night because of a nightmare or just because she didn't want to be alone. It was like...

... she was afraid of him.

**_January 29th, 2:30 PM_**

Rukia bit her lip, wincing as she began to taste blood in her mouth. Her fingers twirled into her hair, and her eyes nervously stared at the home pregnancy test she'd picked up from the clinic. She had turned it upside down, and when it beeped three minutes later, she reached out with shaking hands to grab it.

Taking a deep breath in, Rukia gripped it in her fingers. She hadn't been feeling well for the past few days, and she was sure that neither her or Ichigo were thinking straight enough to have used protection when they had slept together.

She just needed to know for sure.

Closing her eyes and then opening them again, Rukia turned the test around in her hand.

"Ichigo..."

He silently handed her a set of clothing, and politely turned around while she changed. He was being more silent than usual, and she was worried that he might hate her now.

"Ichigo, please look at me."

He squeaked, and Rukia felt the need to throw a pillow at him.

"I'm dressed, you pervert!"

He let out a small laugh, and she almost felt like smiling as he turned around and looked her in the eyes.

"I... don't remember everything that happened," she started, biting her lip a little as she folded her hands into her lap. "But I know that I love you, and you said you love me, so we'll be all right... right?"

Ichigo smiled and nodded as he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

"Right."

The bright red line flashed at her, and Rukia breathed a sigh of relief. After tearing the box to little pieces and flushing it down the toilet so Ichigo would have no hope of finding it, she stuck the pregnancy test into her pocket. She wanted to keep it, even though she knew she was being a little silly.

It had seemed as though they would be perfectly fine, but she felt weird around him... she was always scared when he touched her, but she was getting better about it. She was pretending that it didn't bother her, but he knew it and she knew it; she wouldn't feel better for a while yet.

But at least she wasn't pregnant, like she'd feared. She knew that, if she spent the rest of her life with Ichigo, which she wanted, then she would love to have his baby at some point, but not yet. Not now.

Smiling a little, Rukia walked down the stairs and her smile grew when Ichigo walked through the door. She went up to him, kissed him on the cheek, and wrapped her arms around him, settling her head into his chest.

"Welcome back, Ichigo."

He smiled, too.

"I wasn't gone long."

"Still..."

Rukia laughed a little, grabbed his hand, and hauled him the rest of the way in the house before closing the door and beginning to peal off his scarf, hat and coat. She hung them all up, then glanced with curiosity into the grocery bags he was holding.

"Did ya get me anything?"

She looked up at him with such wide, hopeful eyes that, for once in his life, he was glad that he actually _had_ gotten her something.

"Yup!"

He reached into the bag and held out a sucker to her. She grinned, took the wrapper off and popped it into her mouth.

"Sdwabeeey."

Ichigo looked utterly confused.

"Huh?"

Rukia popped the sucker out of her mouth and repeated, "Strawberry."

"Really?" Ichigo looked surprised. "Let me taste."

Rukia held out her sucker, but to her surprise, he gently kissed her instead. She closed her eyes and let him, only encouraging him when he deepened the kiss. When he finally pulled back, he smiled and laid his forehead on hers.

"You OK?"

She knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Mm hmm," Rukia said softly, closing her eyes as she kissed him again. She pulled back, surprised, when the little voice of Yuzu echoed through the hall.

"Yuck! Get a room, you two!"

Ichigo grinned, stuck his tongue out at his sister, and took Rukia's hand, hauling her into the kitchen with him.

"Will this room work?"

"Uh huh."

He grinned and kissed her again.

**_January 29th, 6:15 PM_**

"Dinner time!"

Ichigo and Rukia, who were sitting on the couch and watching a movie, yawned and picked themselves up before walking sleepily into the kitchen. Yuzu smiled at them when they entered, and had the nerve to ask them if "getting a room" wore them out so badly. Ichigo, of course, just screeched loudly and began to eat quickly.

"No," Rukia began. "Getting a room isn't the hard part."

She winked at Yuzu, and Ichigo grumbled something she didn't quite understand. In truth, she was only trying to ease the tension that had set over the Kurosaki household fifteen days ago.

It worked. Soon, Ichigo was yelling at his dad, who was being perverted, and Karin was sighing at them all while Yuzu and Rukia talked randomly about 'girl' stuff.

"SO!"

It was the loud, annoying voice of Isshin.

"When do I get a grandchild—"

Ichigo kicked his father, very hard, under the table. Rukia began to choke on her food, and the negative pregnancy test which still sat in her pocket seemed to weigh a hundred pounds more.

**_January 15th, 6:20 AM — Flashback_**

_Rukia groaned as she slowly turned around in bed. Her head was pounding, and when she opened her eyes, the first thing she did was clench them shut again. She just wanted to sleep..._

_As she finished turning around, she felt someone warm in the bed beside her. She thought nothing of it until she realized that the cold was biting her skin, and therefore, she was naked._

_She screeched when she saw Ichigo in the bed beside her, completely naked as well._

_Oh, God..._

_"Mmm... Whazz... Rukia?"_

_Ichigo sat up in bed, and the blanket fell away from his body. She blushed and turned away, stealing the blanket from him to pull around herself. Her hands were shaking and tears were beginning to well up in her eyes as she realized what they'd done._

_Ichigo, too, realized what had happened, and he pulled the sheet around his body. He bit his lip._

_Soon, she was crying. The blanket was pulled tightly around her small body, and she was crying softly and quietly. He just sat on the other end of the bed, his own body covered with his sheet. He didn't know what to do; he barely even remembered what had happened._

_"Rukia..."_

_He reached out to touch her, but she flinched and moved away._

_"Don't t-touch me, please."_

_For once, he didn't listen to her, and he took her shaking body into his arms. All of her pain came flooding out, and she allowed him to hold her, even though she wanted to get as far away from him as she could. She wanted to get away..._

_"Ichigo..." she sobbed quietly, "I'm s-sorry..."_

_He somehow found and forced a small smile._

_She nodded and tried to smile, but her tears wouldn't stop._

_"Sorry, Ichigo..."_

_He shook his head and just held her tighter. As her blanket began to slip down her shoulders, he reached out, without looking, and pulled it back up before tucking it under her chin._

_His actions made Rukia feel a little more safe; he cared more about her feelings than her body._

_"Ichigo... will you forgive me?"_

_He laughed and forced a small smile._

_"There's nothing to forgive."_

_There was silence for what seemed to be forever, then Ichigo whispered something about getting dressed. Rukia nodded and looked away while he climbed out of the bed and dropped the sheet to the floor. It was a little under three minutes later that she felt the bed dip down, signaling that he was finished._

_"Ichigo..."_

_He silently handed her a set of clothing, and politely turned around while she changed. He was being more silent than usual, and she was worried that he might hate her now._

_"Ichigo, please look at me."_

_He squeaked, and Rukia felt the need to throw a pillow at him._

_"I'm dressed, you pervert!"_

_He let out a small laugh, and she almost felt like smiling as he turned around and looked her in the eyes._

_"I... don't remember everything that happened," she started, biting her lip a little as she folded her hands into her lap. "But I know that I love you, and you said you love me, so we'll be all right... right?"_

_Ichigo smiled and nodded as he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead._

_"Right."_

_February 14th, 10:12 AM_

Ichigo was sure he'd lost his mind as he grabbed the small box off of the counter after paying for it. He'd lost a very important part of his mind, and he needed to find it quickly, before he did something stupid.

But he was already doing it. God, he was going to _die_.

Oh, well.

At least he'd die a happy man.

Maybe?

Deciding to stomp on his brain, Ichigo walked inside of his house, closing the door behind him before taking off his coat. He hung it up, then went in search of Rukia. She was around somewhere...

He needed to find her, take her someplace romantic, and then... and then...

"Oi! Ichigo! Where in the world _were_ you?"

Rukia was suddenly standing before him, her hands on her hips and her lips pressed tightly together. Ichigo gulped and gripped the small box in his pocket.

"Um... nowhere... at all. Oh! I was outside, getting some fresh air and... you _know_..."

He snapped his mouth shut and turned around. Rukia raised an eyebrow, then walked over to his side. She smiled, grabbed his hand, and asked happily, "Can we go ice skating?"

Oh, well. Not as romantic as he'd hoped for, but it'd work.

"Um... sure."

In a record of ten minutes, they were dressed in warm clothing, had their skates on, and were busting their butts. Ichigo more so than Rukia; she just laughed at him when he _did _fall down, and didn't make a move to help him up. He, all the while, was trying to figure out the best way to do this. On his knee... nope, he'd kill himself on the ice. Standing up... no, he was way taller than her.

On his knee it was.

Sighing, gulping, and blaming the dark red blush and nervous shaking both on the cold, Ichigo walked over to Rukia, grabbed her arm, and made them both fall down. She screeched loudly, closing her eyes tightly as she landed hard on top of him. He groaned. OK, so part one of his plan didn't work right.

"Rukia... off me."

She giggled.

Pulling his sore body off of the ice, Ichigo helped Rukia up, then pretended to fall down again. Rukia looked down in concern, and when she stuck out her hand to help him up, he grabbed it, and took the small, blue velvet box out of his pocket.

Gulping, he flipped it open. Rukia's eyes grew wide.

"Ah... Rukia, I know this is all too soon, most likely, but I love you more than I could ever tell you, show you, or... or anything. I love you more than words can say. I want to spend my life with you, even though you _are_ a moody, insane midget. I know we're both too young, but we can wait a year, three or five even... I just want to know that you love me enough to accept me when I ask you to marry me."

Rukia's bright, beautiful violet eyes were open as she stared at the man before her. She wanted to badly to scream 'yes' and throw herself into his arms, but her body wouldn't move. Slowly, a small tear made it's way out of her eye and slipped unnoticed down her cheek.

Ichigo bit his lip as he waited for her answer.

"I knew it... it was far too soon, I just..."

He trailed off, and began to let go of her hand. But her small fingers wrapped tightly around his own, not letting him go.

"Ichigo..."

More tears followed the first, and even though she had told herself she didn't want to cry anymore, these were tears of joy. Tears of happiness. Tears of _love_.

"...yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

"_Yes_!"

Rukia laughed, wiping away tears, as Ichigo carefully took her glove off and slipped the ring on her finger. As if on second thought, he slipped it off again and smiled as he showed her the engraved words on the inside. In soft, beautifully slanted letters the words _'Concrete Angel'_ shone back at her.

"You like it?" he asked, putting it on her finger once again.

Rukia would only nod; it was the most beautiful ring in the whole world. It had a shining, golden band and the aquamarine stone right in the middle that shone a million different colors every time she moved her hand made the gold light up beautifully. Those two words were so simple, yet said so much, and as Ichigo finally moved his hand away from her fingers, she clasped the ring close to her chest as her eyes closed.

"I love you, Rukia," he said softly, standing shakily to his feet on his ice skates. He pulled her into his arms and smiled into her hair as he buried his face in her soft, black locks.

"I love you, too, Ichigo."

Her voice was just a whisper, but she knew he'd heard it, because he lightly whispered back, "Thank you, Rukia..."

* * *

_Hmm_. Well, I had a ton of fun writing this chapter. I dunno what kind of reactions I'm gonna get because Rukia isn't pregnant, because now their engaged (And I _know_ that Ichigo moves quickly. But their not getting married for a looong time yet!) and because... this wasn't so drama and angst filled that I killed myself. I didn't know exactly _how much_ drama people wanted, so I just did it like I wanted to, and everyone will have to live with it.

**FYI: **PDA means Public Desplay of Affection.

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**_Sneak preview of Chapter 22!_**

Rukia smiled and blushed a little as Yuzu's eyes opened wide. The little girl was staring straight at the ring, not moving her gaze for a second. Ichigo was watching both of them, an amused look on his face as Yuzu began to inspect the ring.

"So pretty!"

Rukia laughed softly.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

Yuzu nodded happily and Rukia turned to look at Ichigo, the man she loved and the man she would one day marry. He smiled at her, then stood from his spot and took her hand before pulling her out of the kitchen.

"Huh? Ichi-nii, where are you and Rukia-chan going?" Yuzu asked, frowning.

"To get a room. Remember? You Don't like PDA?"

Yuzu pouted, but didn't protest as Ichigo walked off.

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**P.S. **Will most likely update on or before **8.5.07**!

**_Please Review!_**


	22. Guardian Angel

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters.Song:** Concrete Angel **by** Martina McBride.** Thanks to** CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

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_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

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**Concrete Angel — Ch. XXII**

_**February 14th, 11:00 AM**_

"I love you, Rukia," he said softly, standing shakily to his feet on his ice skates. He pulled her into his arms and smiled into her hair as he buried his face in her soft, black locks.

"I love you, too, Ichigo."

Her voice was just a whisper, but she knew he'd heard it, because he lightly whispered back, "Thanks, Rukia..."

She smiled into his jacket as he held her, and made no move to break away. She only closed her eyes and relaxed against him. It was so different than the last time she'd been skating with him. The time before, when her brother had shown up, he'd only gotten hurt, and it had only lead to so much more pain. But this time... she loved him _so much_, and there was so much happiness that she felt as though her heart was filled.

"Mmm... Rukia?" Ichigo whispered quietly, shifting the girl in his arms so he could look into her eyes. She smiled, her violet eyes dancing softly as she stared at him. "I think my feet are frozen to the ice."

Rukia laughed.

"Oh, how romantic, Kurosaki," she said, poking him in the chest as he reached out and grabbed her slim, pale fingers into his hand.

"Keep in mind that you _just_ agreed to become a fellow Kurosaki soon!"

She closed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him, and he took the opportunity to lean down and capture her lips with his. Her eyes opened in surprise, but she let him take control as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

When he finally pulled back, he smirked. "Your tongue is cold. Let's go home, Rukia."

He smiled at her like she'd only seen a few times before and gently took her hand. As they began to head back, Rukia stuck her tongue out and poked it, her violet eyes wide as she tried to see it. She turned to see Ichigo giving her a very amused look, then laughed.

"Is my tongue really cold?"

"Hmm..." Ichigo began, than cut off. He stopped walking and leaned down to kiss his girlfriend—no...fiancé—again. Rukia giggled as he pulled back.

"Yup, it's cold. I'm sure of it," he announced boldly.

She lightly kicked him, and when she saw the Kurosaki house come into view, she tightened her grip on his hand and hauled him along as she started to run. He rolled his eyes, but let her drag him.

As they neared the house, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds, and Rukia paused in her tracks. She grinned, her violet eyes lighting up as she stared into the slowly brightening sky. Slowly, she began to reach out her hand toward the light.

"When I was little..."

Her voice was soft and quiet as she spoke, and Ichigo could hear her hesitating.

"When I was little," she continued, "I asked my mom if I could catch the light. She just laughed at me and told me I was silly. I laughed with her because I didn't know what else to do. But I didn't give up for a long time. Every day, when it got sunny, I would sit by the window with a butterfly net and try to catch the light. It never worked, but my mom would always watch me, and sometimes she'd join me."

"Your mom was a wonderful person," he whispered, pulling her closer and wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Yes, she was. And... I never tried to stop catching the light until... until mom died. I-I put my net into my closet, and never looked at it again."

Ichigo frowned, his brow creasing. Rukia just bit her lip and tried to hold back her tears. A single one had slipped, unnoticed, down her pale cheek when Ichigo reached out and took both of her hands into his, letting his large, rough fingers gently caress her soft, delicate skin. She looked up into his eyes curiously as he raised their entwined fingers to the sky. He couldn't help but let a smile form on his lips as the ring on her finger glittered in the sun.

He kissed her on the forehead and said gently, "We'll catch the light together. Forever."

_**February 14th, 10:30 PM**_

Rukia paused by Ichigo's door, her teeth softly nibbling her lip and her small fingers gripping the handle tightly. She didn't know if she was allowed to, or if Ichigo would want her to. She hadn't been in his room for a while, and she didn't know if he wanted her in there anymore.

But then common sense took over. He loved her, he'd asked her to marry him, and of course he'd let her in his room.

But before she had a chance to turn the knob, there was a small laugh from inside.

"Come_ in_ already, Rukia."

Blushing a little, she pushed open the door, and smiled when she saw Ichigo laying stretched out on his bed. There was a book in his hands, but he quickly put it down as she walked over and plopped down beside him.

"Hiya!" he greeted happily, squirming around so he could drop his head on her lap. She was slightly surprised, but took no time in letting her fingers tangle in his bright orange hair. His eyes closed as she began to play around with his spikes, and she would later swear that she heard him purring.

The silence that had fallen over the room was broken when Ichigo said quietly,

"Rukia?"

She smiled and looked down into his eyes. "Hmm?"

"When do you want to tell people?"

As he softly spoke the words, he reached out and took Rukia's hand into his. His eyes lingered on the ring as he let his fingers brush over it gently. It caught on the light, and as the aquamarine stone sparkled, Ichigo grinned.

"I'm not sure..." Rukia said slowly, breaking Ichigo out his daze. "I would like people to know, but I don't want to feel pressured at school."

Ichigo nodded. "I know. School would be a pain in the ass if everyone knew... they will eventually know, however. But what about just my family for now?"

Rukia smiled. "I want to tell them as soon as possible."

"Good!" Ichigo agreed happily. "Me, too."

The way he was grinning made Rukia laugh. He was like a kid with a new toy. His eyes were lit up, and he was grinning so widely she was sure his face was going to split apart.

"How do you think they'll react?" she asked, leaning her back against the wall as Ichigo shrugged.

"Well, let me see. Karin will just say "Oh!". Yuzu will hug you over and over again, gape in awe at your ring for a good hour, then hug _me_ over and over again. And dad... dad will freak out, give us 'the talk' on marriage and a good life, then ask about grandchildren."

Both blushed at the last thought.

Ichigo laughed it off and turned his eyes up so he could see her as she shuffled around on the bed and laid down beside him. She snuggled closer and smiled. Small hands reached out to encase larger ones, and she closed her eyes as she breathed in deeply of his scent.

"Love you, Ichi."

"Mmm... I love me, too—Gah!"

Rukia nodded in accomplishment as Ichigo rubbed the now-sore spot where she had jabbed him in the ribs.

"Fine, fine... I love _you_, Rukia. Now go to sleep, you insane midget."

There was silence for a few seconds, and as soon as Ichigo was beginning to think that Rukia had actually fallen asleep, she chirped,

"You know it's Valentine's Day today, right?"

"Yeeeah, so...?"

"Did you get me chocolate?"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open to see Rukia grinning widely at him. Her violet eyes were sparkling, and she was squirming in the bed. Ichigo raised an amused eyebrow and sighed.

"Wait a minute. Aren't _you_ supposed to give _me_ chocolate?" he asked, frowning. Rukia shrugged.

"Yeah, I got you some. But I don't know where I put them. If I find them, will you share them with me?"

Ichigo seemed to think it over for a second, then his need for chocolate—and his inability to say no to the woman in front of him—made him agree.

"Yeah, fine."

Rukia grinned, climbed over Ichigo, and reached down onto the floor. She shuffled around in her backpack and pulled out a very large, very heavy box of chocolate. She then sat on Ichigo's stomach and grinned.

"Here you go."

He frowned and mumbled, "Lost them, my foot. You knew where they were all along."

"Yup," she happily agreed, popping open the top and taking out one of the candies. Ichigo looked at the chocolates, and it was only then that he realized it.

"Um... you've already eaten half of them."

Rukia looked a bit anxious as she shrugged.

"I was hungry, and they were in my backpack all day after we got back from the park..."

Ichigo laughed and took one out of the box. Rukia looked at him with hopeful eyes and he sighed. "Yes, Rukia, you can have some chocolate," he said, his eyes dancing with amusement. She was beyond hyper, and after she'd eaten two more, Ichigo slapped the top on and shoved them under his bed.

"Time to sleep now..." he said, then added, "If that's even possible after eating so darn much sugar."

Rukia laughed as she snuggled down on the bed beside him again. As the cold air leaked through the window, she pulled the sleeves of her bunny pajamas further down her thin arms and stuck her feet under Ichigo's leg. Smiling, he pulled a blanket around them both and kissed her neck.

" 'Night."

She yawned and let the darkness fall over her eyes.

**_February 15th, 1:00 PM_**

Ichigo sighed as Rukia clicked her spoon against her plate again. She'd been clicking it all afternoon, but he could forgive her for that. She was nervous... but so was he! And _he_ hadn't been clicking his spoon against his plate for _half an hour_.

Growling softly, he turned and looked her straight in the eye. His hands were gripping the table tightly, and Rukia immediately dropped her spoon onto her plate as her violet eyes grew wide. She'd annoyed Ichigo, and that was bad.

"Soooo," Isshin said loudly, rolling his eyes as he clapped his hands together. "What is going on? Rukia-chaaaan and my son are acting weird! Perhaps they must tell us something? Maybe—umgph!"

Ichigo had slapped his hand over his father's mouth before he could utter another word.

"Yes, dad, we _do _have something to tell you. We can't seem to find the right moment, so—"

Isshin had managed to rip Ichigo's hand off of his mouth.

"You're going to have a baby! Oh, what a happy day for a grandfather-to-be like _meeeee_! Since there's going to be a baby, we should clean out the extra roo—"

Ichigo grabbed his dad around the neck and did his very best to cut off all air that the older man could _possibly_ manage to breathe. The younger man was a brilliant shade of red, and Rukia just sat blinking in her chair. Violet eyes closed, then opened, then closed, then finally, she understood what the insane old man had been saying.

"Oh! Goodness, no! I'm not pregnant! Me and Ichigo have something _else_ to tell everyone."

As soon as Isshin had managed to push past the disappointment that his "dear Rukia-chan" wasn't going to give him a grandchild, he began to poke at the couple to tell him what _was_ going on.

"So, so, so?"

Ichigo groaned deeply and Rukia laughed.

"Dad, shut it!" Yuzu said happily. "I want to know what Ichi-nii and Rukia-chan want to tell us!"

"Me, too!" Karin chirped. "So zip it, old man!"

While Isshin began to cry rivers, Ichigo took Rukia's hand into his and took a deep breath. He looked into her eyes, and she nodded.

"Yesterday afternoon, I... askedRukiatomarryme."

Yuzu simply blinked at her older brother, and Karin bit her lip while running the words around in her mind as she tried to break them up so they were understandable. Isshin, however, understood immediately.

"Oh! My son is a _man_! He's getting _married_! He's going to give me a _grandchild_!"

Isshin was running circles around the table, tears of insanity flowing from his eyes as it finally snapped in Karin's poor little brain what her brother had said. Yuzu understood at the exact same moment, and in less than 0.2 seconds, they were demanding to see Rukia's engagement ring.

The soon-to-be-Kurosaki smiled and blushed as Yuzu's eyes opened wide. The little girl was staring straight at the ring, not moving her gaze for a second. Ichigo was watching both of them, an amused look on his face as Yuzu began to inspect the aquamarine stone.

"So _pretty_!"

Rukia laughed softly.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

Yuzu nodded happily and Rukia turned to look at Ichigo, the man she loved and the man she would one day marry. He smiled at her, then stood from his spot and took her hand before pulling her out of the kitchen.

"Huh? Ichi-nii, where are you and Rukia-chan going?" Yuzu asked, frowning.

"To get a room. Remember? You Don't like PDA?"

Yuzu pouted, but didn't protest as Ichigo walked off. Karin, who hadn't managed to get a word in between Yuzu's awe and Isshin's crying, followed them and grabbed Rukia's arm.

"Rukia-chan, can I talk to you?"

Rukia nodded and followed the younger girl into the living room, leaving a pouting Ichigo in the middle of the hall. Karin sat down on the couch and Rukia sat beside her. To be honest, she was a little bit afraid of the younger girl. Sure, in a fight she'd win, hands down, but Karin was Ichigo's little sister, and Rukia wanted nothing more than for his whole family to accept her... to love her.

"Rukia-chan?"

Rukia turned her gaze to meet the eyes of the younger Kurosaki.

"Hmm?"

"Do you love my brother?"

Rukia smiled gently, her violet eyes glowing.

"With all of my heart. Hey, Karin, before you say anything, I want to say some things. I know... I know that I'm not good enough for your brother. He'd the only man I've ever met that has been so kind, so... so wonderful to me. I love him with everything I am, and I want him to love me the same. I... I guess I'm worried that you might not accept me. Yuzu and your father, they've both been wonderful, and they've both accepted me like family. But you, Karin... you're different. I know you don't hate me, but I just don't know how you feel about me being in your life, and in Ichigo's life. Please... just don't hate me."

Karin stood up from the couch, and without a word, she gently hugged Rukia. Violet eyes wide, and her hands shaking from surprise, Rukia embraced her back.

"K-Karin?"

She pulled back and wiped tears from her bright brown eyes.

"I don't hate you, Rukia-chan. I'll admit, I was a bit curious about you at first, but still... you're like a sister to me. I love you, Rukia-chan, and I wouldn't want anyone else to marry Ichi-nii. I've seen how happy you make him. You make him laugh and smile... and to be honest, you've turned him into a fluffy teddy bear."

Rukia laughed softly as she hugged Karin again.

"Thanks, Karin. For everything."

Karin's eyes were glowing as she said, "You're welcome. Oh! And now that _that's_ all covered... let me see the ring!"

Rukia, still laughing and smiling, agreed and the two were soon wrapped up in their own little world. Yuzu joined them soon, and the three were beginning to plan elaborate weddings in their heads.

Ichigo, who was watching from the doorway, smiled softly. His peace was oh-so-rudely interrupted when his father ruffled his hair.

"Ah, my son is engaged!"

"Stuff it, old man!" Ichigo roared, trying to pat his hair back into place. Isshin just continued to grin as he watched the three girls in the living room.

"No, in all seriousness—"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow and gave his dad an unbelieving look.

"—Really, I am serious. See?"

Isshin pointed to his face, which _might_ have looked serious if not for the hyper glint in his eyes.

"Ichigo, my boy, you're growing up. In a couple years, I'll have grandbabies. Oh, I wish Masaki was here to see this. She would have loved Rukia-chan to bits, I know it."

Ichigo smiled softly at Rukia as he said, "You really think so?"

"Oh, I know so. Rukia is hard _not_ to love. She's like a third daughter already, and I know that she'll make you happy for the rest of your life. Well... as soon as she learns to cook."

Ichigo laughed and shook his head as he turned his gaze away from Rukia. His dad was right; his mom would have really loved Rukia.

_"Because she makes you happy, my baby boy."_

**_February 5th, 3:23 PM — Flashback_**

_"Hi, mom. I know I haven't been here to visit in a while, but I guess I... I just needed to talk to someone."_

_Ichigo smiled as he sat down at the foot of his mom's grave. It was true; since Rukia had come into his life, everything kind of swirled together and he hadn't been able to visit much at all. _

_But today had been perfect. Yuzu had hauled Rukia out to go shopping with her, and Isshin had gone to Karin's soccer game. He'd been alone at home, and the sun was finally shining after weeks and weeks of nothing but storms and snow._

_"A lot has been happening lately. See... there's this girl..."_

_He trailed off and blushed a little bit. He felt as though his mom was watching him, and smiling as he began to talk about the girl he knew he loved with all his heart._

_"Her name's Rukia. She's wonderful, mom. She's beautiful, she's smart, and best of all, she loves me!"_

_He laughed at himself as he said the last few words, and he could almost hear his mom laughing, too._

_"The first time I saw her she was covered in dirt and blood, and I felt as though my heart was breaking for her. I picked her up, and I was so sure I'd break her. She looked so fragile and delicate. Heck, she still looks that way, but _now_ I know the truth. She can be tough if she wants to._

_"... and here's the thing. I love her a lot, mama. I..." He blushed deeply. "We kind of made a mistake. We were drunk, one thing led to another, and... I was afraid I'd messed everything up. It made me realize some things. I don't think I can live without her, mom, and I don't want to. I want to spend my life with her. I want... I want to ask her to marry me!"_

_There, he'd said it._

_Taking a deep breath, he wrapped his arms around his knees and dropped a few flowers onto his mother's grave._

_"I want to marry her. I'm gonna ask her on Valentine's Day, and I thought you should be the first to know. I hope you like her. Dad and the twins do, I think. I hope everyone's happy. I know I will be, as long as she'll say yes. Oh, boy. What do I do if she says 'no'?"_

_He was about to begin babbling about his thoughts and fears again when he fell into a deep, warm embrace. He turned around, but he couldn't see anyone or anything, but it was as though there were arms around him. And the wonderful, beautiful aroma of Cinnamon filled his senses._

_"Mom?" he whispered._

_"I do love her... because she makes you happy, my baby boy."_

_He was surprised, and his amber eyes were opened wide. It was a voice he hadn't heard in a long, long time. It was the voice of his mother... wherever she was._

_"Mom?"_

_But there was no answer, and the warm embrace was gone. But he knew she'd been there; she was always watching over him. She was with him everywhere, and she would be his guardian angel forever and ever._

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_Wah!_ Sorry it's been **so** **darn long** since I've updated!! First, I didn't have a beta, then the alerts went down, then I didn't care. I put this up anyway. From now on... I have no idea how long it will be between updates. I hope not long, but who knows?

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_**Sneak preview of Chapter 23!**_

_"Please l-leave me a-alone, Byakuya-nii..." Rukia sobbed, her hands clenching Ichigo's shirt tighter. As she started to shake more violently, Ichigo shrugged off his coat—which wasn't easy, seeing as he had Rukia in his arms—and wrapped it around her small body._

_"I wanted to say I'm sorry, Rukia."_

_No one moved, and the silence that followed was deafening. Ichigo just continued to stare at the man in front of him, his eyes disbelieving._

_"Nothing you can say will make what you've done go away," Ichigo said. "You've scarred Rukia, and no matter how much you're sorry, it won't heal."_

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_**Please Review!**_


	23. Angels Fall

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters.Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

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_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

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**Concrete Angel — Ch. XXIII**

_**February 27th, 10:00 AM**_

"What the hell are you two doing?"

Ichigo frowned and leaned against the door frame as he watched Rukia and his little sister, Yuzu, in the kitchen. After about ten seconds of watching them, however, he began to cough and wave his hands in front of his face to clear the smoke away from him.

"Yuzu's teaching me how to cook," Rukia chirped happily.

Ichigo raised his eyebrow at the pile of brown, slightly sticky goo that Rukia was holding and commented, "I sure hope we're not eating that!"

Rukia gave him a look that would have killed a lesser man as she began to clean up. Yuzu frowned as she looked around, then sighed deeply.

"Well, I need to go to the store. Um... Rukia-chan burnt dinner, and I need some other stuff, too..."

Remembering the last time Yuzu went to the grocery store, Ichigo quickly volunteered, "Me and Rukia will go!"

Yuzu gave him a weird look, and he was quick to explain, "Um... I want some fresh air, and a walk to the store would do me some good," he said, smiling, as he reached over and took the shopping list off of the counter. Yuzu took it back, added a few things, then handed him some money from the "Shopping" jar on the counter. Since Isshin never shopped, he found it easier just to put that months grocery money where Yuzu could easily access it.

"If that isn't enough," she said, "then just use your own money and have the jar pay you back."

Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"All right." Grabbing Rukia's arm, he began to haul her along. "C'mon shorty... ouch."

Rukia nodded happily at her accomplishment. Her kick was _very_ well placed.

_**February 27th, 10:45 AM**_

"Soo... why did we decide to go shopping again?" Ichigo asked, a bored look on his face as Rukia's eyes scanned the list that Yuzu had given her.

_"You_ were the one who decided we would go. So shut up and walk, Ichigo."

He sighed, rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he looked ahead. It was still snow-covered outside, but the days were growing warmer, even if by the smallest bit. The sun was overhead, and he knew he couldn't wait for spring.

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo turned to look at the raven-haired midget beside him. "Hmm?"

"What's Hina Matsuri? I heard Yuzu talking about it yesterday. She sounded excited."

Ichigo was a little surprised at the question, but then said slowly, "It's a holiday that's coming up. We're celebrating it for Yuzu and Karin. See, on March third, families with girls wish their sisters or daughters a happy, long life. Around the house, Hina dolls are displayed. Karin used to love it, but she get's bored easily these days. I guess it's just for Yuzu now."

"Oh. I remember something like that. I never celebrated Hina Matsuri with my family, but when I was three, my mom took me to Shichi Go San. We went to the Shinto Shrine, and the kimono I wore was one my mom had made for me with her own hands. It was beautiful."

Ichigo smiled softly as he reached over and ruffled her hair. She frowned at him as she tried to pat it back in place.

"What other holidays did you celebrate?" he asked, knowing that the list would be short and bittersweet.

"Well..." Rukia paused and seemed deep in thought for a minute. "I only celebrated Shunbun No Hi. I... I visited the graves of my mom and Hisana-nee, but my father never came with me. Um... Byakuya-nii did for a while, but he stopped going when he turned fifteen. We always celebrated Kinro Kansha No Hi, and that's about it."

Ichigo just blinked at her. He began to tap his finger on the side of his head, then he snapped his fingers. "Shunbun No Hi is the national day where people go and visit their passed loved ones and Kinro Kansha No Hi is the day that other people call 'Thanksgiving', right?"

He beamed brightly at his accomplishment, and Rukia laughed.

"How long did it take you to memorize your own country's holidays?"

"Until I was thirteen," he stated proudly.

Rukia rolled her eyes as they continued walking. It was nearly ten minutes later that Ichigo was walking a few steps ahead of her, and he was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice that she was nearly having to run to keep up. She considered yelling at him to slow down, but decided against it. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, and the look of deep concentration on his face made her think that, if she bothered him, he wouldn't like it. She knew he was probably thinking about her past again, because of the conversation they'd just had. He thought about her life often, he'd said.

Finally deciding that he _needed_ to slow down, Rukia called out to him. "Ich—"

But she was cut off as a hand was placed firmly over her mouth and she was pulled away from the street. Before she knew what was happening, she was slammed hard into a concrete wall. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes from the pain.

" 'Ello, little missy. Been followin' ya for a while."

Rukia opened her bright violet eyes and she could feel fear building in her chest as she gazed into the deep, green eyes staring back at her. The man's arm was wrapped tightly around her throat, and she knew she needed to get away.

"You're pretty," the man said, a grin stretching onto his lips as he let his filthy hand roughly touch her face. Rukia jerked her head away, but the man grabbed her hair and held her in place. "Hold still, missy, and this won't be quite as painful.

Rukia knew what he was going to do. Fear was building up inside of her and her movements to get away weren't doing any good. If anything, the man tightened his grip on her yet again, and she knew she was crying now.

_Not again_... _God, not again_...

The cold was biting at her skin, but she didn't notice as dirty hands touched the soft skin under her shirt. She tried to scream, but nothing came out as she was held tight against the wall, a hand on her mouth.

Tears were falling now.

_Through the wind and the rain...  
She stands hard as a stone.  
In a world that she can't rise above._

Clenching her violet eyes shut, she finally stopped struggling. The man began laughing, and Rukia could feel her heart falling... breaking...

"That brat that was with you... he's your boyfriend, right?"

Rukia didn't answer, so he continued.

"I swear he won't look at you twice after I'm through with you. He won't _love you no more_."

Laughter reached Rukia's ears, and she began screaming in her mind. Why was no one helping! How come no one heard! Why was she always... so alone? Why did no one ever help her? _Ichigo... Ichigo... Ichigo!_

_But her dreams... give her wings,  
And she flies to a place where she's loved.  
Concrete angel._

It took him about half a minute to realize Rukia wasn't beside him anymore. Amber eyes wide, he began to run backward. He couldn't see her... couldn't feel her... _no_.

He continued running, but he still didn't see anything. Anger was building up inside him, and it was toward himself. Dammit! Why the hell had he let her out of his sight! No, no, no! He had to find her... even if she'd just gotten lost in the crowd... even if she'd just stopped to look at something, he should have never left her side. Ever.

"Rukia!"

His voice reached her ears, and she began to struggle again as the man ripped off her coat. He laughed before kissing her roughly. She screamed against him, her whole body jerking as she tried to get away.

"Rukia's your name, huh?" He pulled back, grinning as he licked her soft skin. He reached his hand under her skirt, and Rukia jerked her head away from him enough to make his hand slip off of her lips.

"_Ichigo_!" she yelled as loudly as her small voice would allow, and she could see anger glowing in the eyes of her attacker as he grew more rough.

"Damn girl! No one can help you now, so just stop struggling!"

She didn't, and it made him even more mad. His dirty fingers ripped her skirt, and she could feel him in places she never wanted another man to touch.

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face._

She could see him. He was at the end of the long, narrow path between the buildings that she was being held in. He could see her, and she knew that his amber eyes were flaming with anger by the way he moved.

Her attacker's green eyes flared, and his dirty brown hair dropped in his eyes as he reached into his pocket. Rukia gasped as he pulled out a knife and pressed it to her throat.

"Damn girl. I didn't get to have much fun with you. Ah, well. _Killing_ you will be just as much fun. I better hurry, huh? Your little boyfriend is a' comin'."

_A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

The knife was pulled back, and the only thing that ran through Ichigo's mind was Rukia. He was so close...

He didn't even think of disarming the man. He didn't think of pulling Rukia out of the way. Instead, all he thought of was keeping her safe. His body wrapped around hers, and there was only half a second before the knife was shoved down. Rukia screamed, and Ichigo braced himself for the pain he knew was coming.

But it didn't. Instead, all he heard was the angry shouts of the man who had attacked, and tried to rape, Rukia. He yelled loudly, at something—someone—else.

But Ichigo didn't care. He gently turned Rukia around in his arms and held her tightly. She was shaking with fear at what had almost happened. There was blood on her face, and her hands gripped tightly to his shirt and didn't let go as he stood shakily to his feet.

"Ichigo... Ichigo..."

He just held her tighter as he turned around.

_Through the wind and the rain...  
She stands hard as a stone.  
In a world that she can't rise above.  
But her dreams... give her wings,  
And she flies to a place where she's loved.  
Concrete angel._

The sight before him made his hands start shaking all over again. The green-eyed man was fighting with a man taller than him. There was blood everywhere, and Ichigo couldn't tell who it belonged to. A final scream, and Rukia's attacker fell to the ground. The man who'd won held the knife in his fingers, and there was blood everywhere, but most of it poured from a large, gaping wound in his hand from where the knife had been stabbed through.

When he turned around, Ichigo's amber eyes narrowed.

"What the hell are you doing here, Byakuya?" He spit the name from his lips like a curse. Rukia gasped as the name was said, and she buried her face in Ichigo's chest.

"Saving _you_," the older man replied coldly.

"As far as I've heard, you never did any _saving_. You never helped Rukia before in your life. You just watched, and in the end, you turned into an asshole like your father," Ichigo said, stepping back as Byakuya stepped closer. "Stay the hell away from me and Rukia."

"I've been watching you. I... wanted to say something to Rukia, but I knew you'd never let me near her. Let me speak now, and I'll never come near you again."

"Please l-leave me a-alone, Byakuya-nii..." Rukia sobbed, her hands clenching Ichigo's shirt tighter. As she started to shake more violently, Ichigo shrugged off his coat—which wasn't easy, seeing as he had Rukia in his arms—and wrapped it around her small body.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry, Rukia."

No one moved, and the silence that followed was deafening. Ichigo just continued to stare at the man in front of him, his eyes disbelieving.

"Nothing you can say will make what you've done go away," Ichigo said. "You've scarred Rukia, and no matter how much you're sorry, it won't heal."

"I know what I did was wrong. You were my baby sister, and I hurt you. At first, I didn't help because I was afraid of father. Then, I didn't because my heart had grown cold after losing mom and Hisana-nee. I never wanted to hurt you, but I did because I honestly didn't care anymore. My heart was filled with hate, and I took it out on you. I truly am sorry, Rukia, and I hope you can find it in your heart to one day forgive me."

"I don't k-know if I c-can..." Rukia whispered, her eyes not moving toward her brother. "You h-hurt me, Byakuya-nii. It still hurts."

Silence fell once again, and Ichigo made the next move.

"I don't know about Rukia, but I sure as hell will find it very damn hard to forgive you. She was so broken, in so much pain. Ya know the only thing that helped her heal?"

When Byakuya didn't answer, Ichigo said softly, "Love," and walked off, Rukia still in his arms. The older man didn't follow them, but instead, bowed the slightest bit and walked in the opposite direction.

"I really am sorry."

His voice carried forward, and Rukia heard his words. She didn't respond, but instead took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Ichigo held her close, and walked home as fast as he could, avoiding people as much as possible and not stopping when people would give him weird looks. He wanted Rukia to be home, away from danger and from _him_.

"Ichi-nii! You're back alrea—what happened to Rukia-chan!"

Yuzu looked at the in alarm, her cooking spoon dripping cookie dough on the floor as her hands moved up to cover her mouth in surprise.

"I'll explain in a bit," he said quickly, moving past his sister as he began to walk up the stairs. He left Yuzu at the bottom, worried and confused. But as soon as he got upstairs, he walked into his bedroom and closed the door behind him.

"I'm dirty..." Rukia whispered, reaching a shaking hand up to rub at the spot where her attacker had touched. When it felt like she couldn't get it clean, she rubbed harder. After sitting her down, Ichigo gently took her hand into his.

"Stop, Rukia. Please. Please, tell me what he did to you. Did he..."

He left his question unfinished, but Rukia knew what she was asking. She shook her head and brought her knees up to her chest where she wrapped her arms around them.

"No, he didn't. He touched me..."

Ichigo's lips were set in a firm line. He reached out and gently touched her cheek as he asked, "Do you want to take a shower?"

Rukia nodded, then shook her head. "My hands are shaking too badly..."

Ichigo forced a smile. "I'll help you. I promise I won't touch you anyway you don't feel comfortable."

Rukia nodded and let him help her out of the room and into the washroom. He left to grab her a pair of clean clothes while she undressed and only came back in when she was under the light pink, bubble filled water. He raised an eyebrow; she'd used Yuzu's strawberry scented bubble bath. He sat down on the floor, her towel over his head and his eyes.

"I was scared," Rukia whispered.

Ichigo, hidden under the towel, listened intently while she spoke. He knew, from before, that it was hard to get her to talk about these things. The fact that she was opening up so quickly was amazing.

"He told me that you'd never love me again after he was done. You still love me, right?" She knew she was being silly, but she needed to know.

"Of course I do," Ichigo said, pulling the towel off of his head. He stared right into Rukia's eyes, not letting his gaze go lower.

"After everything that's happened, how can you?" she asked, sliding further under the water, until only her head was poking out.

"Because none of it was your fault. Because you still smile even after everything that's happened. Because you're _you_," he said, smiling slightly.

Rukia didn't smile back, but she didn't question him. Instead, she reached out and took a washrag into her hands. She scrubbed her face, her arms... anywhere that man had touched. She felt so dirty, so unclean. She felt like she was covered in a layer of dirt that would never come off.

It was only when Ichigo reached out and gently took the washrag out of her hands that she realized she'd scrubbed her cheek so hard that it was raw. Frowning, he made her lean forward as he softly ran the rag over the skin of her neck, her back and her arms. The strawberry scent reached him and he closed his eyes as he breathed it in.

"Hey, Rukia?"

"Hmm?"

Her voice was tired and sleepy as Ichigo handed her the rag and turned away.

"You do the rest. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

She nodded, finished cleaning herself, and took her towel off of Ichigo's head as she stepped out of the tub. The soft, light purple materiel of the towel caressed her skin as she wrapped it around her body twice. It was huge, much bigger than her, and it was warm, like it'd just gotten out of the dryer. It was clean.

"Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

"Um... can I have my clothes?"

He nodded and reached over, picking her pajamas, and a clean pair of underclothes, off of the counter before handing them to her. He stood to his feet and waited while she changed. After she was dressed, she walked up to him and placed her hand on his arm.

"I'm tired..."

He smiled, turned off the light in the bathroom, and picked her up in his arms as her eyes began to slip closed. She laid her head on his chest as he carried her into his room. Pulling back the blanket, he laid her in the middle of the bed and tucked the sheets and quilt around her small body.

As she drifted off to sleep, she breathed in the scent of fresh, clean linen.

Maybe, someday, she could be clean, too...

* * *

_Well_, whatcha think? I worked pretty hard on this, but I'm not quite happy with it. But Rukia sure does attract a lot of bad attention, huh? I guess it's because she's so pretty.

◦♥◦♥◦

_**Sneak preview of Chapter 24!**_

_Rukia sighed, leaning back against the wall. She hadn't moved from Ichigo's bedroom since the day before, after she'd been attacked. She didn't want to move. She wanted to stay alone, away from everyone else._

_But, Yuzu and Isshin had different ideas._

_"Rukia-chaaan!" Isshin whined. "C'mon out! We're wedding planning!"_

_Rukia winced. She was not looking forward to this. She'd always heard that wedding planning was hard, and—_

_Wait._

_"Me and Ichigo aren't getting married for _months_, maybe years!" she called, and couldn't help when a small smile formed on her lips. Yuzu and Isshin, who were outside the door, giggled._

_"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Isshin announced, grinning as he posed to knock down the door._

**◦♥◦♥◦**

**P.S.** Thanks EVERYONE! I am about to hit **one thousand** reviews, and I'm close to **two hundred** favorites on this story. I couldn't have written this without every single one of you! You've helped me so much, and I can't express how grateful I am!

**P.S.2:** Haha, no, I'm not talking about the game system. I just wanted to say that the sequel for **Whispers In Your Heart** is up! Go, forth and read! lol. XD

_**Please Review!**_


	24. Bleed For Me

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song:** Concrete Angel **by** Martina McBride.** Thanks to** CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

**

* * *

**

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

**

* * *

**

**Concrete Angel — Ch. XXIV**

_**February 28th, 12:45 AM**_

Ichigo sighed as he dropped tiredly onto the living room couch. His amber eyes were heavy, and he knew that there was no way in hell he could wake up in time to make it to school in the morning. Maybe he'd call in sick. This school year was already pretty much shot, and Rukia wouldn't want to go in the morning, that was for sure. But he _did_ have that big test...

Mentally slapping himself for _thinking_ when he could be _sleeping_, he dropped his head down on the pillow he'd grabbed from his room and closed his eyes.

However, insane, hyper fathers who loved to torment their sons didn't sleep at twelve forty-five AM. Instead, they ran into the room, jumped into the air, and landed on their son's stomach. Loud crashing sounds always followed, and Ichigo jumped to his feet to curse at his ever-smiling father.

"What the hell was that for, you insane old fart?" he yelled, his face red and his stomach sore.

Isshin grinned.

"Daddy wants to talk to Ichigo about Rukia!"

Though he was acting like an idiot—when was he not?—Ichigo could tell he was serious. So, rubbing his stomach and still mumbling curses at his father under his breath, Ichigo sat back down on the couch. Isshin dropped beside him, letting out a huge, over-dramatic sigh.

"What happened to Rukia-chan?"

"I told you already. She was attacked on the way to get groceries with me. That's all. End of story."

Isshin gave his son a tired look. His stupid grin was gone, and it was replaced with a small frown, etched with tiredness and wisdom that only came with living through every day, every memory of pain, for so many years.

"Ichigo... I know that's what you said. But there's more to it. Yuzu and Karin are sleeping now. Tell me what happened."

Ichigo sighed. He should have known that his father would guess something more had happened. Rukia had been so scared when they had come in, and although Isshin hadn't seen her until she was asleep, he had seen Ichigo shaking as he walked through the house after helping Rukia to bed.

"She _was_ attacked, but the man... he tried to rape her, then kill her. I didn't even think as I shielded her body with mine. I was so sure I was going to die, but... the knife never hit. Byakuya saved us, dad. Her damn _brother_. I wanted to hate him. I didn't want any reason to have to thank him, I just simply wanted to _hate _him. But he saved my life, and possibly Rukia's, too. I just... is it wrong for me to hate him after that?"

Isshin seemed deep in thought—a fact that alone made Ichigo sure he would give him a straight answer—then he sighed as he turned to stare into the eyes of his son.

"I don't think it's fair to _hate_ anyone, but I can certainly understand why you _would_. He hurt Rukia, the girl you love, in more than one way. He took something away from her that was special, and that would hurt you, too, because you hate to see anyone you love so broken. I... don't think you should fall to the ground and kiss his feet, but it is probably wrong to not even acknowledge that he saved your lives."

"He wants Rukia to forgive him," Ichigo said slowly, dropping his head in his hands and sighing deeply. "I can't force her to do anything, but... God, I don't know. I just don't know."

Isshin gave his son a sympathetic smile and patted him on the back.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. As for now... get some sleep."

Ichigo mumbled something that his father didn't hear as he dropped down on the couch again. The blanket pulled over his face and his feet freezing, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

_**February 28th, 7:00 AM**_

Something—No, _someone_—was poking him. Again and again, the finger jabbed into his side. He knew who it was. No one but his father would wake him up this way. Of course, he _could_ thank the Gods that the insane, old goat hadn't _jumped_ on him.

Finally giving up on trying to ignore his father, Ichigo rolled over and let his arm fly out to slap whatever body part he could reach. His fingers connected with Isshin's face, and as the Rivers of Tears began to flow, Ichigo stumbled his way off of the couch and up the stairs.

"Stupid, insane... manic, old man..."

His mumblings weren't heard by anyone or anything as he opened the door to his room, forgetting to be quiet, as there was a sleeping midget on his bed. When the door slammed into the wall, Rukia squeaked loudly and jumped up from the bed. The blanket flew up and her violet eyes were wide. Instead of saying anything, Ichigo just blinked at her.

"Uh..."

She forced a smile and bit her lip.

"Hi, Ichigo..."

He grinned and dropped down on the bed beside her. As he yawned and wiped the sleepies out of his eyes, Rukia dropped her head in his lap and closed her own bright, violet eyes.

"Still a little scared?" he asked her, letting his fingers run gently through her dark raven hair. She nodded a little, her eyes not opening as she curled into a ball beside him. Ichigo, knowing she was about to fall back to sleep, gently rubbed her back as he said,

"Is it all right if I go to school today? Normally, I wouldn't, but the big test is today. I know you don't want to go, so..." He trailed off and looked up at the ceiling as Rukia nodded.

"I'll be fine, Ichigo. Your dad will be here..."

"All right. Well, I guess I need to get ready..."

But Rukia didn't hear him; she was already asleep again. Ichigo smirked as he placed the quilt over her body again and kissed her on the forehead as he jumped up from the bed and walked into the bathroom to get ready.

When his father kicked open the door and his feet slammed gracefully into his son's face, Ichigo groaned loudly.

This was going to be a _long_ day.

_**February 28th, 1:00 PM**_

Ichigo was still at school, and would be for another two hours.

Rukia wanted him home.

_Now_.

His family was driving her insane. Isshin had been trying to get her to come out and have breakfast or lunch for hours now, and Yuzu had gotten out of school an hour ago—her middle school had a half day—and had joined in the game of "Bug your soon-to-be-sister-in-law-to-death."

Groaning loudly as she heard the two in question approach the door, Rukia sighed, leaning back against the wall. She hadn't moved from Ichigo's bedroom since the day before, after she'd been attacked. She didn't _want_ to move. She wanted to stay alone, away from everyone else.

But, Yuzu and Isshin had different ideas.

"Rukia-chaaan!" Isshin whined. "C'mon out! We're wedding planning!"

Rukia winced. She was not looking forward to this. She'd always heard that wedding planning was hard, and—

Wait.

"Me and Ichigo aren't getting married for months, maybe _years_!" she called, and couldn't help when a small smile formed on her lips. Yuzu and Isshin, who were outside the door, giggled.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Isshin announced, grinning as he posed to knock down the door. Soon, a loud argument between Isshin and Yuzu reached Rukia's ears. She smiled brightly.

"Daddy, you can't kick down Ichi-nii's door! He woudn't like that!"

"And since _when_ have I cared what Ichigo likes! I _wanna_ kick down his door!" Isshin whined loudly.

"No!"

"Daddy's sad!"

Loud bawling followed, but it didn't last long as more screams were heard and the door crashed in. Rukia screeched loudly as she saw Isshin, and a pouting Yuzu, standing outside Ichigo's now-a-little-bit-more-than-a-little-bit-broken door.

"Rukia-chan! Come on!" Isshin said, grinning frome ar to ear as he walked over to Ichigo's bed and pulled Rukia's hand. Violet eyes wide, she stumbled off of the bed, running in place to try and escape Isshin's grip. Sadly, it wasn't working. To him, she was the size of an eleven-yar-old, and he'd been hauling his _son_ around the house since he was five.

"Daddy! Stop!"

As Yuzu tackled Isshin who tackled Rukia, the older teen girl silently concluded that Ichigo's family was _beyond_ insane.

And she wanted him home. _Now_.

Sighing deeply as Yuzu bounced up to her and grinned as she held several wedding magazines in her hands, Rukia groaned.

She really, _reeeally_ wanted Ichigo to be home.

**_February 28th, 3:30 PM_**

The first thing Ichigo noticed—and smiled about—when he got home was the fact that Rukia was no longer in his room. Instead, she was sitting with Yuzu at the table, a million and a half magazines surrounding them. Rukia looked tired and bored, and Yuzu didn't even notice. So, when Ichigo sneaked up behind the two of them and patted them both on the shoulder, both girls squeaked loudly.

"Ichi-nii! You're home!" Yuzu said happily, grinning from ear to ear as she hugged her brother tightly.

Rukia just sighed from her spot at the kitchen table and laid her had on Ichigo's arm. He smiled.

"Tired?"

"Um... yeah. I think I know all there is to possibly know about Japanese weddings. And American weddings... and _all other_ weddings..."

Ichigo laughed as he dropped down into a chair at the table and took one of the cookies that Yuzu had just overseen Rukia making. He nodded.

"Pretty good."

Rukia beamed.

"Yay. I made a batch before this, but I forgot to put the sugar in, so it was a mess."

"And they didn't taste good, either," Yuzu said happily. "I was the only one who ate one, though, 'cause when I spit it out, daddy and Rukia-chan didn't even go near them. But the second batch turned out great!"

Ichigo smiled and nodded as he randomly picked up one of the magazines.

"Wow... some of these dresses are insane. But pretty..."

At that moment, Karin walked into the room and laughed when she saw her older brother looking intently at a wedding magazine while Rukia was the one who looked totally and completely bored. it was supposed to be the other way around...

"Oh! And after three hours of debating, we found of which dresses we want at the wedding! Me and Karin are going to be flower girls, and..."

Ichigo tuned his little sister out as he stared at Rukia. She met his eyes and grinned.

"So... we still need to figure out when to have this thing, huh?"

"_This thing_?" Rukia asked, raising an eyebrow. Ichigo laughed.

"Our wedding."

"Well... I was kind of thinking..."

"_Kind of_ thinking?" he raised an eyebrow, and winced in pain when Rukia kicked him for interrupting.

"As I was saying, I was thinking about asking you... can we have it on November 12th?"

"Hmm... why then? And a couple years in the future, I hope..."

"Yes, Ichigo, in the future. And I want November 12th because... that was the day we met."

Her smile was soft as she stared at Ichigo. He said slowly, "Oooh..." then trailed off and tapped his chin a couple of times as he thought. "That would be an awesome day. We'd have to have it inside, though, because it would be freezing cold..." He trailed off again, and smiled as he stared at the magazines. Rukia nodded in accomplishment and grinned as she popped another cookie in her mouth.

"Now... before or after college?" he asked.

She groaned and dropped her head on the table.

"When I'm_ forty_. Now lemme sleep."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and went back to reading his magazine.

**_February 28th, 9:43 PM_**

Rukia yawned and snuggled further into the blankets as Ichigo curled up beside her. Her violet eyes were wide and open, despite her being dead tired. She turned around to stare into Ichigo's eyes and smiled when he leaned forward and kissed her.

"Thanks, Ichigo."

"Hmm... for what?"

"For just being there. For saving me."

Ichigo smiled and leaned back on the pillow as Rukia curled her small body into his arms. She laid her head on his chest and she could feel when her eyes began to slip closed. The darkness took over her, and she welcomed it.

Ichigo, however, couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard he tried. Feelings, flashes of what had almost happened... everything kept coming back. He could remember the fear swelling up in his heart as he heard her scream. It was then, and only then, that he _knew_ something had happened—_was_ happening—to her. He knew she was in danger... and it was because he had slipped so far into thought that he hadn't noticed when she had disappeared from beside him.

Even though he'd managed to save her, he still hadn't managed to keep her from the pain all together.

_"He told me that you'd never love me again after he was done. You still love me, right?" She knew she was being silly, but she needed to know._

_"Of course I do."_

When she'd asked him if he still loved her, he was far more shocked than he'd let on. The fact that she had doubt, if even a little, made his heart clench. She didn't trust him... or was it that she didn't trust herself? Was she worried that, if she was ever touched by another man, he'd never love her?

God, he hoped not.

Sighing and closing his eyes, he tried to sleep again. This time, he slipped off to sleep, his vision blurring as his body finally gave in.

_Then, he was dreaming. It was dark, and as the world seemed to spin around him, he suddenly knew where he was. _

_It was the same, small alley where Rukia had been attacked. It was dirty and smelly, something he hadn't noticed before when trying so desperately to keep Rukia from being killed. But this time... something was different. Something he couldn't quite place..._

_...until he saw _her

_She was pushed up against the wall, tears slipping down her eyes as the man in front of her hurt and touched her in ways that made Ichigo's blood boil. Running over, he pulled his arm back and then tried to slam it into the man in front of him. But instead, his hand seemed to run straight through, leaving the young boy staring at the scene in front of him._

_"Now... now you're _mine_, little girl," he slurred, shoving down her skirt._

_Her whimpers filled the air as he finally took the last step in breaking her. All the barriers she'd put up around herself over the months fell down as she cried. The man didn't care, and took her until he was finished. Ichigo, tears slipping down his own eyes, tried again and again to touch someone... anyone, whether it be Rukia to take her away from this mess of pain, or the man, so he could kill him. _

_But he could do neither. All he could do is watch as the man took out a knife and slid it over Rukia's skin again and again, drawing blood and making her scream. Finally, he left, the knife plunged deeply in her skin and her violet eyes closed._

_Forever._

He woke screaming. His amber eyes were wide and there were tears slipping down his face.

When he saw Rukia laying beside him, her eyes blurry as she sat up, he could feel some of his fear—his anger, his pain, his desperation—leaking out. His heart was beating wildly as he pulled Rukia into his arms and didn't let go.

"Ichigo?" she asked sleepily, her violet eyes questioning as he buried his face in her soft hair.

"I... saw... I saw that m-man do terrible things... to you..."

His words were broken between sharps gasps of breath. He didn't move, and instead, his grip on her tightened.

"I had a n-nightmare... he hurt you... h-he hurt you bad, Rukia..."

She gasped softly as she finally understood what he meant. In attempt to comfort him, she rubbed his back, her little hands making their way up and down his soft skin tiredly. It seemed to calm him down a little, and he finally pulled back.

"Rukia, I love you. I love you... I love you... please, don't ever doubt it. _Please_..."

Rukia smiled. "I love you, too, Ichigo. I always will... I promise."

He nodded and buried his head in her soft hair once again, not wanting to move from his spot... ever...

_All he could do is watch as the man took out a knife and slid it over Rukia's skin again and again, drawing blood and making her scream. Finally, he left, the knife plunged deeply in her skin and her violet eyes closed._

_Forever._

* * *

_Ouch_. Poor Ichi. Hehe... he has nightmares. Oh! AndI**_need_** opinions. I don't know whether or not to put the wedding in this story. If I do, I will have to do a time-skip until they're older. There is no way I'll write day-by-day until they're finished with school. If I _don't_ do the wedding, this could be a chapter or two shorter than I'd originally planned.

So... to continue, or not to continue?_ That_ is the question. **ALSO**, that is the reason for no sneak-peak. If I do the wedding, and if I don't, either way the peak would be different, so I can't... sorry!

**_Please Review!_**


	25. Sad Endings

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song:** Concrete Angel **by** Martina McBride.** Thanks to** Crystal** for beta'ing! Also, I do not own Fakir or Ahiru from **Princess Tutu**.

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* * *

**

_A statue stands in a shaded place,  
An angel girl with an upturned face.  
A name is written on a polished rock,  
A broken heart that the world forgot._

**

* * *

**

**Concrete Angel — Ch. XXV**

**_March 14th, 8:40 PM_**

Ichigo sighed deeply as he stared at the large, very bright arrangement of chocolate boxes. He had to get Rukia something, and time was running out quickly. It was nearly nine at night, and Rukia had been sending mini-glares at him all day, as if _she_ hadn't eaten half of his gift on Valentine's Day.

But he supposed that, even if she did, he still had to get her _something_ on White Day. Maybe a box of chocolates, or candy... or something.

"Arrrrgh!"

Gripping his head in both hands, he let out a huge, annoyed sigh and slumped to the floor in front of the chocolate arrangements. Several other men that were last-minute shopping for their girlfriends/wives gave him a sympatheic look. One laughed and said,

"Just get her a box of chocolate, man. She'll like it no matter what."

Ichigo gave him a look of thanks, but then said, with a sigh, "She doesn't like white chocolate, and that seems to be what half of _everything in this store_ is. The ones that are filled with... fillings... give her a sore stomach, and there's not any normal ones left. Do ya think she'd mind if I just got her a stuffed bunny?"

The man laughed loudly, shrugged, and went back to looking for a gift himself.

And Ichigo was left alone in his thoughts again.

Giving up, he stood to his feet and grabbed a box of chocolates for each of his sisters and then grabbed the last chocolate filled bunny—which he was _sure_ Rukia would never eat—and sat them all down on the counter.

When his total rang up to seven dollars and thirty-two cents and he reached into his wallet for the money, he realized that he'd forgotten said wallet at home.

The store was closing in seven minutes.

And his house was at least three miles away.

Gripping his head in his hands, Ichigo screamed loudly. But before the man behind the desk could do anything more dangerous than sigh loudly and tap his fingers on the counter, the man from before, who was laughing hard and deep, slapped a ten dollar bill in Ichigo's distressed hands.

"That's for you, man. I don't need it as much as you do."

Ichigo, blinked at the money, surprised, then said slowly, "Um... thanks..."

After paying for the chocolates and pocketing the change—which the man, Mytho, told him to keep—he walked out of the store with a smile on his face. But then... _then_ he saw the time.

"Oh, crap! Rukia's gonna skin me alive!"

He took off at a run and didn't stop running until he landed on the doorstep to his house. He was breathing hard, and he couldn't believe that he'd possibly run three miles in less than twenty minutes.

But when he opened the door, he saw Rukia, hands on her hips and her lips set in a firm line, sending him a mini-glare.

"Where were you?"

"Um... out?"

She sighed deeply, rolled her eyes, then hit him over the head with her cooking spoon.

"I know _that_. Oh, by the way, are you _ever_ going to give me chocolate?"

Her eyes were hopeful, but Ichigo knew he couldn't let her know that he'd picked up her gift after eight at night, hadn't payed for it himself, and that he had run home like a mad man to even give it to her before bed.

"Um... we'll see."

He dashed up to his room, and Rukia tried to glare after him, but as always, it somehow turned into a smile.

"Stupid strawberry."

She turned back to making her cookies.

**_March 14th, 9:45 PM_**

Rukia was walking from the bathroom back to Ichigo's room when he caught her hand and pulled her out onto the balcony. She blinked in surprise, then frowned.

"It's cold, idiot. I want to go inside—"

She was silenced when Ichigo placed his large, warm coat around her shoulders. It almost completely engulfed her, and she found no reason to complain as she stared out into the beautiful night. The stars were bright in the dark sky, and the snow on the ground glittered in the moonlight.

"Soo..." Rukia started, grinning. "Did ya get me chocolate?"

Ichigo groaned. He knew she was bound to ask it again, because he'd given Yuzu and Karin their presents earlier—to which his father had complained loudly, asking where _his_ was—and he'd prepared. Smiling, he pulled a small, wrapped bundle out from behind his back.

"Tada!" he said triumphantly, grinning as Rukia took it, a smile on her face.

"Yay! Chocolate!"

She looked at the bunny with wide, violet eyes and then happily ate its ear off.

"Yummy!"

Ichigo stared at her in wonder and blinked a few times.

"Wow. I was sure you weren't going to eat that because it would be 'Bunny Murder'," he said, shrugging as Rukia continued to nibble on the bunny's ear.

"It's not murder if the bunny isn't real," Rukia said, turning to look out at the sky again. "Besides, if I didn't eat it, _you_ would. And we can't have that, now can we?"

"Well, you got _that_ right!" Ichigo said, smirking as he reached over and took the bunny's foot off, popping it into his mouth before his elfish girlfriend could throw a fit on him. She pouted up at him, but didn't comment as she leaned back and sighed happily.

"It's different now, than it was before."

Ichigo frowned at her comment, then said, "I should hope so."

Rukia, rolling her eyes, hit him in the stomach. "_No_, not that. I mean... even here. It's more quiet. When I first came here, the tension was strangling. It was hard for me to even look out the window, but now... I feel like I need to get out into the world. I want to go to a carnival—I've never been to one, but neither of your sisters will stop talking about the one they went to on their school trip—and I want to ride a ferris wheel, because people say that you can see the whole world from the top if it. I want to see the US, I want to _do_ things. I never got to go out with friends or anything like that. I don't want to sound depressing or anything, by the way, but I want to see Japan. All of it, or at least more than my backyard, the hospital and school."

Ichigo gave her a small smile.

"Well, I can take you to a carnival, and we can ride the ferris wheel. Seeing the US might be a little hard, but I'm sure that some interesting places in Japan would settle your curiosity."

Rukia smirked. "You'd take me to a carnival?"

"Ah... sure. As long as you wouldn't mind my family tagging along. I mean... we only get a carnival through this town about once three or four years, so it's special to the twins and my insane father. I don't know when the next one will come through town, but it shouldn't be too long..."

Rukia laughed a little as she rubbed her cold nose.

"I wouldn't mind. As long as your father doesn't decide to jump off the ferris wheel or try and raid the cotton candy stand."

"Oh, he's done worse, believe me. And put that scarf back on; it's freezing out here, idiot."

Ichigo pulled her scarf up for her as she rolled her eyes and gripped the handle of the door leading back inside. She bounced happily into the warm air and Ichigo followed her, yawning deeply. His frantic search for chocolate earlier that day had made him pretty darn tired.

So, as soon as he'd changed into his pajamas, he flopped onto his bed and fell asleep, Rukia's head on his arm as she snored quietly.

**_March 15th, 3:13 PM_**

Ichigo sighed and slammed his locker shut. School was over, he was tired, and his stupid Math teacher had given him a whole crap load of homework. A fact that Rukia was very quick to point out as she waved her two-page pile in his face.

"Yeah, well we can't _all_ flirt our way out of fifteen pages of make-up homework. Just because I missed a few weeks—OK, a _lot_ of weeks—doesn't mean that _I_ have to get a whole ton of homework and you don't!"

Rukia just giggled as she walked with him out of the school parking lot. They'd been back in school for nearly three weeks now and he was getting used to the homework load. Fifteen pages every three days.

"Oh, and I didn't flirt. But since I was the one who had a _real_ reason to be gone, I didn't get as much work. The fact that I'm smarter than you helps a lot, too."

Ichigo growled at her and she stuck her tongue out at him before running ahead. Sighing and groaning, he followed her.

Silence followed them for a while as soon as Ichigo had caught up with her, and the silence stretched on until the were about half-way home. Finally, it was broken by Rukia.

"Hey... Ichigo?"

"Hmm?" he asked, yawning blankly.

"I think I can forgive him."

It took him a minute to understand what she'd said, then he frowned deeply.

"What the hell?" he asked, his voice more firm and rough than he'd meant it to be. "Why? He hurt you, he doesn't deserve to be forgiven. Ever."

"Why not? Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?" Rukia asked softly, he fingers clasping her backpack tightly. "I... I know he hurt me. I'll never forget it, and I'll always be afraid of him. But... still... wouldn't _I_ want a second chance if_ I_ ever did something wrong?"

"Rukia..."

"But I don't know how to tell him. _He_ came to me that one time."

She stared ahead of her, unaware of Ichigo's glare. His eyes were fill of hate, and he knew that it wasn't fair to feel such anger toward someone who had nothing to do with the crime he detested so badly. He should be staring at Byakuya with such hate, not the girl who he'd seen go through so much pain.

"I used to love him. He was my favorite, and I was closer to him than my sister. Then... things changed, and Hisana-nee was my favorite. We grew apart, and he soon became like my father. I thought I hated him, and I still might. I know I don't love him anymore. But he deserves a second chance."

"How about a second chance in jail?" Ichigo asked, spitting the words from his mouth like poison. "I don't care if he's stopped doing wrong, he still deserves to rot in jail for what he did in the past. He's running from the law, and we shouldn't be helping him. If I see him again, Rukia, I'm turning him in. No questions asked, and I don't care if you hate me for it."

Rukia nodded and bit her lip.

"You'll never forgive him, huh?"

He shook his head. "Never."

She didn't say another word as they walked, and he didn't either. She knew that, in saying what she had, she'd strained their relationship a little. It was nothing that would break them apart, but she knew how he felt about her brother.

"You can forgive him if you want. It'd probably make him feel good before I beat him to a pulp and hand him over to the police," Ichigo said quietly, opening the door to the house and stalking inside.

Rukia stood in the doorway, letting the light breeze ruffle her hair as she sighed.

He would never understand.

In fact, she didn't quite understand it herself.

Why was she forgiving him? She didn't know, but it felt like the right thing to do. But at the same time, it almost seemed like the worst thing to do.

Maybe... maybe... she just didn't know.

**_March 15th, 4:30 PM_**

Rukia yawned as she sat down on the park bench. She was tired; why had she even come? Ichigo had to take Yuzu and Karin to the park for a school soccer practice—how had Karin gotten Yuzu to play in the first place?—and she had tagged along because she was bored, and the fact that she would have been alone with Isshin, who was hyper on five cups of coffee, helped her make her mind up.

Ichigo, who was sitting on the swings close to his sisters, waved and called out,

"C'mon over here, Rukia!"

She shook her head and smiled. She liked her spot by the pond and all the little ducks very nicely, thank you very much.

Speaking of the ducks...

"Ahiru! Get back here_ now_!"

Rukia blinked in surprise when a young boy with intense green eyes and messy black hair—looking to be fourteen or fifteen—ran past her in pursuit of a small, yellow duck that was quacking in such a way that it seemed like she was laughing at him.

Rukia cocked her head to the side.

"Ahiru? Duck? Who in the world names their duck 'duck'?**(1)**" she wondered quietly. The boy, who had screeched to a stop and was now holding the wiggling duck in his hands, walked over and said,

"That's her name. I didn't name her, she named herself."

Weird kid.

"By the way, I'm Fakir."

She smiled. "I'm Rukia."

He nodded and sat down beside the lake, putting the duck by his side as he reached into his backpack to pull out his paper and pens. It was just then that Rukia noticed his fingers; they were ink stained and scarred. She asked,

"You write a lot?"

"Uh huh."

He didn't look up at her as the duck hopped into his lap and snuggled close. Her little blue eyes seemed to follow what the boy was writing, and Rukia shook her head.

Weirdest couple she'd ever seen.

"What are you writing about?"

She knew it was probably a little rude to interrupt people while they were writing, but she was honestly curious about the boy and his duck. He seemed closed off, but at the same time, him and his pet duck seemed years younger than they probably were.

"I'm writing a story of betrayal and forgiveness. I've never tried anything like it before, so I don't know how it'll turn out. I usually write happy stuff, because that's what Ahiru likes."

"She reads?"

"Uh huh. Sometimes I read to her, though. She doesn't like having to follow what I'm writing and erasing, and re-doing. I imagine it'd be a little hard to follow."

Rukia nodded.

"If you don't mind, could you tell me a little bit more about your story?"

He nodded, and even though it seemed like he had a barrier put up around himself and a hardness in his eyes, he seemed happy and carefree.

"It's about a brother and a sister. They fight a lot, and one day, the brother—who is older—hurts his sister badly... he betrays her. Near the end of the story, he asks for her forgiveness and... actually, that's where I'm stuck. I don't know whether to have her forgive him or not. But Ahiru wants me to, and I want it to end that way, too."

"Well, I think it would be a good ending. She should forgive him," Rukia said, her smile slipping.

_Just like I should forgive Nii-sama._

"I know. But... he hurt her badly. How can I write it without my story seeming... wrong?"

"Just follow your heart. If, in your heart, that's how you want it to end, end it that way."

_Just like I should follow my heart_.

"I don't want it to have a sad ending. I know a lot about sad endings, and if I'm going to write stuff, why should it end bad?"

Rukia shook her head.

"It shouldn't."

The boy nodded and turned back to his work, his pen flowing over the paper quickly now, like the words could seem to write themselves fast enough. The duck watched happily, and would quack every now and then, stopping the boy from his writing. He would look over what he'd just written, scrape a few lines out, and re-write them, thanking Ahiru when he was done.

Rukia shook her head at the pair and stood to her feet. She noticed Ichigo's gaze on her and waved happily before she began to walk around the pond. There were lots of ducks, and even a lot that looked like the one, Ahiru, from before. But none of them had the same sparkle in their eyes that she'd had. She was a special duck, indeed.

"Hey, Byakuya-nii... wherever you are... I just want you to know... I can forgive you now. I know it's the right thing to do, even if Ichigo hates you. So, even though you hurt me and even though I know I'll never love you the same way as I did before... I forgive you."

The wind blew through her hair, the birds chirped, and the young boy, Fakir, jumped up happily as he finished his story.

But nothing compared to the peaceful look on the face of the man who had been watching the young girl for so long. He had her forgiveness now, and whatever happened in the future, he knew that his baby sister would be all right.

And, before truning away, he watched her finally run back over to the orange-hared boy. They both smiled as he stole a small kiss, and as she fell happily into his arms as the wind blew through their hair.

Byakuya smiled. He knew his sister was loved in a way that he couldn't have ever given he. She would be happy, and her life would be full.

...And he knew it would be better if he was never a part of her life again.

**_The End_  
**_(Turn to 'Epilogue')_

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**(1)** Ahiru means "Duck" in Japanese.

_**PS.**_ Fakir and Ahiru come from an Anime called **Princess Tutu**. My friend, Crystal, told me to go watch it even though it was weird, insane and... even more weird. But I'm personally a fan of shojo and the whole love triangle thing, so I loved it. It's... unique. It's different, but it's awesome! I suggest people watch it! Fakir is OOC, by the way. But this isn't a crossover; just an idea taken from another show. So I'm forgiven.

**_PS2_:** _**Sorry**_ for taking to long to update! Geez. But if you've ever followed **any** of my stories, you know that I take forever near the end. Sorry again, but the next update will take a long time, too!

Anyway, about this chapter... it was weird. It just came to me, and I wrote it down. I hope you like! BTW, one **maybe** two more chapters after this.

**_Please Review!_**


	26. Epilogue — The End

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: **Concrete Angel** by **Martina McBride**. Thanks to **CrystalRaindrop007** for beta'ing!

**_P.S._** The "T" in Tsubasa is silent. It's more like "Subasa".

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_Through the wind and the rain...  
She stands hard as a stone  
In a world that she can't rise above.  
But her dreams... give her wings,  
And she flies to a place where she's loved.  
Concrete angel._

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**Concrete Angel — EPILOGUE**

**_—20 Years Later—_**

**_October 11th, 11:30 AM — 2028_**

"Has it really been that long?"

A quiet whisper filled the air, and the young child blinked up at her older brother, her little fingers in her mouth as she smiled and shrugged. She didn't quite understand what had happened, or why her big sister and brother cried lots when they came here, but she understood to be quiet and be a good girl.

"Has it really been that long since mom passed away?"

The older boy smiled softly, taking his little sister's hand into his own. She grinned a toothy grin and bounced in place as another young girl came over to join them. She was a big sister, but she was a smaller bigger sister.

"Kanade-chan!" the littlest girl said, violet eyes wide and orange hair messy. "Hold me!"

Kanade grinned and ruffled her little sister's hair as she picked the four-year-old into her arms.

Even though all of their hearts were filled with pain and sadness, it had dulled over time and even their father, who they had never seen cry in their lives, had stopped shedding so many tears. But even now, he was sitting beside his wife's grave, his hands clasped together and the cold, October air flowing through his orange hair. The leaves swirled around him with the wind, and to a child's mind, it seemed as though he was being enveloped by the beauty of fall.

"Is Daddy sad?"

"Yeah, Aiko, he is," the oldest boy, Tsubasa, said quietly, smiling and letting his eyes close as the wind blew hard. It was a beautiful day out, and it somehow didn't seem fair that such a sad day—October eleventh, exactly four years since his mother had died—could be so beautiful.

And Kurosaki Ichigo, father to two daughters and a son, sat and stared at his wife's grave with a smile. There were no tears this time, only smiles.

He always wanted to remember her with a smile. To remember her hair, her eyes, her laugh... The way she lovingly held their first son, and the way she pouted when she told him she wanted a daughter, too. How she would sing to Tsubasa, how she would play dolls or teatime with Kanade so gently and with such a beautiful smile, and the way she held Aiko with no regret as she closed her eyes for the last time only minutes after their second daughter was born.

Cut off from his thoughts by a a far away, "Is Daddy sad?" from his youngest daughter, he felt his smile slip. Yeah, he was sad.

Reaching a shaking hand out, he let his fingers trace the words on her gravestone.

_Kurosaki Rukia  
Loving wife, mother and friend._

Below that, in tiny, beautiful letters that Ichigo had carved himself, stood the lyrics from the song that Rukia had heard and cried over when she had visited Byakuya in jail for the first time.

_Through the wind and the rain...  
She stands hard as a stone  
In a world that she can't rise above.  
But her dreams... give her wings,  
And she flies to a place where she's loved.  
Concrete angel._

In some ways, Ichigo blamed her brother for Rukia's death. In ways, he blamed himself. After Kanade had been born, they'd promised no more children because giving birth twice had almost brought her to death.

But then... then she'd become pregnant with Aiko, and they'd gotten into a screaming match over whether or not to go through with the pregnancy. After their fight, when he found Rukia crying in the living room, he had regreted the things he had said. He'd never wanted to kill their baby, but he knew that, in the end, this would probably kill her.

And she knew it, too.

All throughout her pregnancy, she'd grown weaker and weaker. The doctor had informed them that the reason her body was so weak was because of complications from her pregnancy with Tsubasa, or even before that... when her father and brother had raped her repeatedly. The doctor had also said that, unless they induced labor at six months, she would die.

And during the extra three weeks that she had tried to hang on for her baby, they had prepared Kanade and Tsubasa for mommy's death. They'd explained that mommy might not come back after Ichigo brought the baby home.

And they'd never seen her again after that.

"... Daddy?"

Ichigo was snapped out of his thoughts as Aiko slowly shuffled over to him, her sneaker clad feet making tracks in the colorful leaves all over the ground. It was only then, when she reached up and wiped his tears away with her tiny, baby fingers that he realized he was crying again.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, baby?" he asked, pulling her into his arms as he bottom lip trembled and tears began to form in her own little eyes.

"Don't be sad! I not sad! I strong, so Daddy be strong, too. I strong, see?"

She pointed to her tear-filled eyes as she loudly proclaimed her strength. Ichigo couldn't help but smile a tiny bit as he hugged her tighter. Kanade and Tsubasa slowly walked over to their father and baby sister as Ichigo stood to his feet, Aiko in his arms. He let his amber eyes linger on Rukia's grave just a little bit longer before turning to his children.

"Thank you, Tsubasa, for being so strong for your baby sisters. Thank you, Kanade, for holding Aiko so tightly when she would cry. You're all strong... stronger than I am. I know you all miss mommy, but she's watching over us, all right? She's always with us, now and forever. She'll never really leave us, because she loves you all too much."

"I know, Daddy," Tsubasa said, wrapping his arms around his father. It was the first time he'd called his father "daddy" in such a long time, as thirteen-year-olds never said daddy, you know. "I know she's with us, and she wants us to smile. So I'm gonna. What about you, ya big crybaby?" he asked, gently patting nine-year-old Kanade on the head.

"Me, too!" she said, reaching up and grabbing Tsubasa's hand as she hastily wiped tears from her amber eyes with her free hand. "And I'm not a crybaby, Tsu-Tsu!"

Aiko laughed, then hiccuped, which made her laugh harder.

"Me three! Three me, me three, me me!"

Ichigo smiled at his youngest child and let Tsubasa grab his free hand. Kanade was still holding tightly to her big brother, and as they walked off into the sunset, the wind began to blow again and the final words on Kurosaki Rukia's gravestone shone in the glow of the sin as the leaves blew away.

_"We love you."_

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_OK_. Here is how I look at it. YOU didn't write it, YOU don't complain. I wrote another story like this once (Not on FF) and I got nothing but flames for the end. Come on, no one but me spent **months** working on this. If you have a flame, keep it to yourself.

**_Sneak preview:  
_  
Title: **Far Away (Subject to Change)  
**Rating: **T  
**Summary: **_AU_ Thirteen-year-old Kuchiki Rukia met Ichigo in the streets of Rukongai. He was rude and never smiled. She was determined to change him, but falling in love with him was _never_ part of the deal.

_Coming soon to Fanfiction! (Will take forever to get up...)_

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_———If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all - Phil Kearns———_

I _know _I'm going to get flamed to hell for that ending, but who cares? Look, the lyrics I posted in the beginning of almost _every single _chapter_ **should**_ have given you a warning that this wasn't going to end all happy and fluffy.

_**—P.S. If you liked this story, go vote for it in the poll on my profile page!—**_


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